Author: Gilbert Vedrenne
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 354039088X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 613
Book Description
Since their discovery was first announced in 1973, gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have been among the most fascination objects in the universe. While the initial mystery has gone, the fascination continues, sustained by the close connection linking GRBs with some of the most fundamental topics in modern astrophysics and cosmology. Both authors have been active in GRB observations for over two decades and have produced an outstanding account on both the history and the perspectives of GRB research.
Gamma-Ray Bursts
Author: Gilbert Vedrenne
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 354039088X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 613
Book Description
Since their discovery was first announced in 1973, gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have been among the most fascination objects in the universe. While the initial mystery has gone, the fascination continues, sustained by the close connection linking GRBs with some of the most fundamental topics in modern astrophysics and cosmology. Both authors have been active in GRB observations for over two decades and have produced an outstanding account on both the history and the perspectives of GRB research.
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 354039088X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 613
Book Description
Since their discovery was first announced in 1973, gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have been among the most fascination objects in the universe. While the initial mystery has gone, the fascination continues, sustained by the close connection linking GRBs with some of the most fundamental topics in modern astrophysics and cosmology. Both authors have been active in GRB observations for over two decades and have produced an outstanding account on both the history and the perspectives of GRB research.
Deciphering the Ancient Universe with Gamma-Ray Bursts
Author: Nobuyuki Kawai
Publisher: American Institute of Physics
ISBN: 9780735408296
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most luminous and violent explosions detectable out to the edge of the observable Universe. As soon as their cosmological origin was established, it became apparent that GRBs can serve as powerful probes of the high-redshift Universe. The association of long GRBs with the deaths of massive stars imply that they trace the sites and history of massive star formation. Their optical and near-infrared afterglows reveal spectral imprints of their environments, including the interstellar medium of their host galaxies as well as the intergalactic medium during cosmic reionization. With the Swift Observatory in orbit, such expectations are now being materialized. With GRB 050904, we found that the Universe was already largely ionized at z=6.3. The discovery of GRB 090423 at z~8.2, the most distant astrophysical object known to date, clearly demonstrates that in the coming years, GRBs will offer us an unprecedented view into the mysterious era of cosmic reionization and the formation of the first stars and galaxies. And yet, our knowledge concerning the GRBs themselves remain appallingly meager, such as their progenitors, their true energetics, the mechanisms of jet formation, particle acceleration and prompt emission, etc. The aim of this conference is to discuss the latest observational and theoretical developments in this exciting field of GRBs, with a strong emphasis on their use as probes of the high redshift universe. Non-GRB studies of the high redshift Universe, involving e.g. supernovae, galaxies, quasars and background radiation, are also essential elements of this conference.
Publisher: American Institute of Physics
ISBN: 9780735408296
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most luminous and violent explosions detectable out to the edge of the observable Universe. As soon as their cosmological origin was established, it became apparent that GRBs can serve as powerful probes of the high-redshift Universe. The association of long GRBs with the deaths of massive stars imply that they trace the sites and history of massive star formation. Their optical and near-infrared afterglows reveal spectral imprints of their environments, including the interstellar medium of their host galaxies as well as the intergalactic medium during cosmic reionization. With the Swift Observatory in orbit, such expectations are now being materialized. With GRB 050904, we found that the Universe was already largely ionized at z=6.3. The discovery of GRB 090423 at z~8.2, the most distant astrophysical object known to date, clearly demonstrates that in the coming years, GRBs will offer us an unprecedented view into the mysterious era of cosmic reionization and the formation of the first stars and galaxies. And yet, our knowledge concerning the GRBs themselves remain appallingly meager, such as their progenitors, their true energetics, the mechanisms of jet formation, particle acceleration and prompt emission, etc. The aim of this conference is to discuss the latest observational and theoretical developments in this exciting field of GRBs, with a strong emphasis on their use as probes of the high redshift universe. Non-GRB studies of the high redshift Universe, involving e.g. supernovae, galaxies, quasars and background radiation, are also essential elements of this conference.
What Are Gamma-Ray Bursts?
Author: Joshua S. Bloom
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400837006
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 271
Book Description
A brief, cutting-edge introduction to the brightest cosmic phenomena known to science Gamma-ray bursts are the brightest—and, until recently, among the least understood—cosmic events in the universe. Discovered by chance during the cold war, these evanescent high-energy explosions confounded astronomers for decades. But a rapid series of startling breakthroughs beginning in 1997 revealed that the majority of gamma-ray bursts are caused by the explosions of young and massive stars in the vast star-forming cauldrons of distant galaxies. New findings also point to very different origins for some events, serving to complicate but enrich our understanding of the exotic and violent universe. What Are Gamma-Ray Bursts? is a succinct introduction to this fast-growing subject, written by an astrophysicist who is at the forefront of today's research into these incredible cosmic phenomena. Joshua Bloom gives readers a concise and accessible overview of gamma-ray bursts and the theoretical framework that physicists have developed to make sense of complex observations across the electromagnetic spectrum. He traces the history of remarkable discoveries that led to our current understanding of gamma-ray bursts, and reveals the decisive role these phenomena could play in the grand pursuits of twenty-first century astrophysics, from studying gravity waves and unveiling the growth of stars and galaxies after the big bang to surmising the ultimate fate of the universe itself. What Are Gamma-Ray Bursts? is an essential primer to this exciting frontier of scientific inquiry, and a must-read for anyone seeking to keep pace with cutting-edge developments in physics today.
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400837006
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 271
Book Description
A brief, cutting-edge introduction to the brightest cosmic phenomena known to science Gamma-ray bursts are the brightest—and, until recently, among the least understood—cosmic events in the universe. Discovered by chance during the cold war, these evanescent high-energy explosions confounded astronomers for decades. But a rapid series of startling breakthroughs beginning in 1997 revealed that the majority of gamma-ray bursts are caused by the explosions of young and massive stars in the vast star-forming cauldrons of distant galaxies. New findings also point to very different origins for some events, serving to complicate but enrich our understanding of the exotic and violent universe. What Are Gamma-Ray Bursts? is a succinct introduction to this fast-growing subject, written by an astrophysicist who is at the forefront of today's research into these incredible cosmic phenomena. Joshua Bloom gives readers a concise and accessible overview of gamma-ray bursts and the theoretical framework that physicists have developed to make sense of complex observations across the electromagnetic spectrum. He traces the history of remarkable discoveries that led to our current understanding of gamma-ray bursts, and reveals the decisive role these phenomena could play in the grand pursuits of twenty-first century astrophysics, from studying gravity waves and unveiling the growth of stars and galaxies after the big bang to surmising the ultimate fate of the universe itself. What Are Gamma-Ray Bursts? is an essential primer to this exciting frontier of scientific inquiry, and a must-read for anyone seeking to keep pace with cutting-edge developments in physics today.
Handbook of X-ray and Gamma-ray Astrophysics
Author: Cosimo Bambi
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 9811969604
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 5912
Book Description
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 9811969604
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 5912
Book Description
Twelfth Marcel Grossmann Meeting, The: On Recent Developments In Theoretical And Experimental General Relativity, Astrophysics And Relativistic Field Theories (In 3 Volumes) - Proceedings Of The Mg12 Meeting On General Relativity
Author: Remo Ruffini
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 9814458031
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 2657
Book Description
Marcel Grossmann Meetings are formed to further the development of General Relativity by promoting theoretical understanding in the fields of physics, mathematics, astronomy and astrophysics and to direct future technological, observational, and experimental efforts. In these meetings are discussed recent developments in classical and quantum gravity, general relativity and relativistic astrophysics, with major emphasis on mathematical foundations and physical predictions, with the main objective of gathering scientists from diverse backgrounds for deepening the understanding of spacetime structure and reviewing the status of test-experiments for Einstein's theory of gravitation. The range of topics is broad, going from the more abstract classical theory, quantum gravity and strings, to the more concrete relativistic astrophysics observations and modeling.The three volumes of the proceedings of MG12 give a broad view of all aspects of gravitational physics and astrophysics, from mathematical issues to recent observations and experiments. The scientific program of the meeting includes 29 plenary talks stretched over 6 mornings, and 74 parallel sessions over 5 afternoons. Volume A contains plenary and review talks ranging from the mathematical foundations of classical and quantum gravitational theories including recent developments in string theories, to precision tests of general relativity including progress towards the detection of gravitational waves, to relativistic astrophysics including such topics as gamma ray bursts, black hole physics both in our galaxy, in active galactic nuclei and in other galaxies, neutron stars, pulsar astrophysics, gravitational lensing effects, neutrino physics and ultra high energy cosmic rays. The rest of the volumes include parallel sessions on dark matter, neutrinos, X-ray sources, astrophysical black holes, neutron stars, binary systems, radiative transfer, accretion disks, alternative gravitational theories, perturbations of collapsed objects, analog models, black hole thermodynamics, cosmic background radiation & observational cosmology, numerical relativity & algebraic computing, gravitational lensing, variable ';constants'; of nature, large scale structure, topology of the universe, brane-world cosmology, early universe models & cosmic microwave background anisotropies, inhomogeneous cosmology, inflation, gamma ray burst modeling, supernovas, global structure, singularities, cosmic censorship, chaos, Einstein-Maxwell systems, inertial forces, gravitomagnetism, wormholes & time machines, exact solutions of Einstein's equations, gravitational waves, gravitational wave detectors & data analysis, precision gravitational measurements, history of relativity, quantum gravity & loop quantum gravity, Casimir effect, quantum cosmology, strings & branes, self-gravitating systems, gamma ray astronomy, cosmic rays, gamma ray bursts and quasars.
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 9814458031
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 2657
Book Description
Marcel Grossmann Meetings are formed to further the development of General Relativity by promoting theoretical understanding in the fields of physics, mathematics, astronomy and astrophysics and to direct future technological, observational, and experimental efforts. In these meetings are discussed recent developments in classical and quantum gravity, general relativity and relativistic astrophysics, with major emphasis on mathematical foundations and physical predictions, with the main objective of gathering scientists from diverse backgrounds for deepening the understanding of spacetime structure and reviewing the status of test-experiments for Einstein's theory of gravitation. The range of topics is broad, going from the more abstract classical theory, quantum gravity and strings, to the more concrete relativistic astrophysics observations and modeling.The three volumes of the proceedings of MG12 give a broad view of all aspects of gravitational physics and astrophysics, from mathematical issues to recent observations and experiments. The scientific program of the meeting includes 29 plenary talks stretched over 6 mornings, and 74 parallel sessions over 5 afternoons. Volume A contains plenary and review talks ranging from the mathematical foundations of classical and quantum gravitational theories including recent developments in string theories, to precision tests of general relativity including progress towards the detection of gravitational waves, to relativistic astrophysics including such topics as gamma ray bursts, black hole physics both in our galaxy, in active galactic nuclei and in other galaxies, neutron stars, pulsar astrophysics, gravitational lensing effects, neutrino physics and ultra high energy cosmic rays. The rest of the volumes include parallel sessions on dark matter, neutrinos, X-ray sources, astrophysical black holes, neutron stars, binary systems, radiative transfer, accretion disks, alternative gravitational theories, perturbations of collapsed objects, analog models, black hole thermodynamics, cosmic background radiation & observational cosmology, numerical relativity & algebraic computing, gravitational lensing, variable ';constants'; of nature, large scale structure, topology of the universe, brane-world cosmology, early universe models & cosmic microwave background anisotropies, inhomogeneous cosmology, inflation, gamma ray burst modeling, supernovas, global structure, singularities, cosmic censorship, chaos, Einstein-Maxwell systems, inertial forces, gravitomagnetism, wormholes & time machines, exact solutions of Einstein's equations, gravitational waves, gravitational wave detectors & data analysis, precision gravitational measurements, history of relativity, quantum gravity & loop quantum gravity, Casimir effect, quantum cosmology, strings & branes, self-gravitating systems, gamma ray astronomy, cosmic rays, gamma ray bursts and quasars.
Flash!
Author: Govert Schilling
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521800532
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 332
Book Description
The origin and nature of gamma-ray bursts is currently one of the greatest mysteries in astrophysics. These tremendously powerful blasts produce more energy in a fraction of a second than our Sun does in ten billion years. Since their accidental discovery by American spy satellites over thirty years ago, astronomers have striven to understand these enigmatic explosions. It is only recently, thanks to an Italian-Dutch satellite, and powerful telescopes both on the ground and in space, that the mystery is beginning to be unravelled. Astronomers now realise that gamma-ray bursts are probably related to the birth of black holes in extremely distant galaxies. Flash! describes the fast moving field of gamma ray burst research, from the initial detection right up to the most recent discoveries. Based on interviews with leading scientists, this exciting book provides an inside view of the scientific challenges involved in unravelling the mystery of gamma-ray bursts.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521800532
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 332
Book Description
The origin and nature of gamma-ray bursts is currently one of the greatest mysteries in astrophysics. These tremendously powerful blasts produce more energy in a fraction of a second than our Sun does in ten billion years. Since their accidental discovery by American spy satellites over thirty years ago, astronomers have striven to understand these enigmatic explosions. It is only recently, thanks to an Italian-Dutch satellite, and powerful telescopes both on the ground and in space, that the mystery is beginning to be unravelled. Astronomers now realise that gamma-ray bursts are probably related to the birth of black holes in extremely distant galaxies. Flash! describes the fast moving field of gamma ray burst research, from the initial detection right up to the most recent discoveries. Based on interviews with leading scientists, this exciting book provides an inside view of the scientific challenges involved in unravelling the mystery of gamma-ray bursts.
Towards Ultimate Understanding of the Universe
Author: Pisin Chen
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 9814449369
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 383
Book Description
The past two decades have observed dramatic advancement in our understanding of the universe. Such progress in turn has triggered further questions yet to be answered. Aspired by such prospects, several institutions dedicated to the research of cosmology have been established in the last decade, which include the Leung Center for Cosmology and Particle Astrophysics (LeCosPA) at the National Taiwan University. To celebrate its 4th anniversary the First LeCosPA Symposium was held in February 2012 at NTU. Internationally renowned physicists and authorities in cosmology, particle astrophysics, gravity and general relativity, and high energy physics convened to survey our present understanding of the universe and to explore the future prospects from both theoretical and experimental perspectives. Topics covered include the detection and the nature of dark matter and dark energy, the fundamental understanding of space, time, mass and gravity itself, cosmological constant and vacuum energy, etc. This book should be valuable to researchers and students in the field of cosmology and particle astrophysics.
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 9814449369
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 383
Book Description
The past two decades have observed dramatic advancement in our understanding of the universe. Such progress in turn has triggered further questions yet to be answered. Aspired by such prospects, several institutions dedicated to the research of cosmology have been established in the last decade, which include the Leung Center for Cosmology and Particle Astrophysics (LeCosPA) at the National Taiwan University. To celebrate its 4th anniversary the First LeCosPA Symposium was held in February 2012 at NTU. Internationally renowned physicists and authorities in cosmology, particle astrophysics, gravity and general relativity, and high energy physics convened to survey our present understanding of the universe and to explore the future prospects from both theoretical and experimental perspectives. Topics covered include the detection and the nature of dark matter and dark energy, the fundamental understanding of space, time, mass and gravity itself, cosmological constant and vacuum energy, etc. This book should be valuable to researchers and students in the field of cosmology and particle astrophysics.
Understanding the Universe
Author: Richard M. West
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9400972113
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 256
Book Description
There is hardly any field of human endeavour which is more fundamental than the study of our surroundings. We have always wanted to learn what was behind our horizon, beyond the next mountain, on the other side of the ocean, on the next planet, at the end of the Universe. We have come a long way since our early ancestors gazed upon the sky in amazement. Giant optical and radio telescopes now allow us to "see" the early epochs of the Universe, revealing phenomena beyond our comprehension. Spacecrafts with on-board astronomical instrumentation circle the Earth and fly to the limits of the Solar System, providing invaluable new information about nearby and distant objects. Many people have the intuitive feeling that it is "easier and better" to study the Universe from above the Earth's atmosphere. However, this is only partially true in as much as electromagnetic radiation of certain wavelengths (e.g. X-rays) does not penetrate the atmosphere and can only be studied from balloons and space crafts • The advent of space-borne astronomy has not made ground-based observations obsolete - on the contrary, it is only thanks to the combination of the two that we have now a vastly more comprehensive picture of the Universe than just a few decades ago.
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9400972113
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 256
Book Description
There is hardly any field of human endeavour which is more fundamental than the study of our surroundings. We have always wanted to learn what was behind our horizon, beyond the next mountain, on the other side of the ocean, on the next planet, at the end of the Universe. We have come a long way since our early ancestors gazed upon the sky in amazement. Giant optical and radio telescopes now allow us to "see" the early epochs of the Universe, revealing phenomena beyond our comprehension. Spacecrafts with on-board astronomical instrumentation circle the Earth and fly to the limits of the Solar System, providing invaluable new information about nearby and distant objects. Many people have the intuitive feeling that it is "easier and better" to study the Universe from above the Earth's atmosphere. However, this is only partially true in as much as electromagnetic radiation of certain wavelengths (e.g. X-rays) does not penetrate the atmosphere and can only be studied from balloons and space crafts • The advent of space-borne astronomy has not made ground-based observations obsolete - on the contrary, it is only thanks to the combination of the two that we have now a vastly more comprehensive picture of the Universe than just a few decades ago.
Toward an Understanding of the Progenitors of Gamma-Ray Bursts
Author: Joshua S. Bloom
Publisher: Universal-Publishers
ISBN: 1581121695
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 198
Book Description
The various possibilities for the origin ("progenitors") of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) manifest in differing observable properties. Through deep spectroscopic and high-resolution imaging observations of some GRB hosts, I demonstrate that well-localized long-duration GRBs are connected with otherwise normal star-forming galaxies at moderate redshifts of order unity. Using high-mass binary stellar population synthesis models, I quantify the expected spatial extent around galaxies of coalescing neutron stars, one of the leading contenders for GRB progenitors. I then test this scenario by examining the offset distribution of GRBs about their apparent hosts making extensive use of ground-based optical data from Keck and Palomar and space-based imaging from the Hubble Space Telescope. The offset distribution appears to be inconsistent with the coalescing neutron star binary hypothesis (and, similarly, black-hole--neutron star coalescences); instead, the distribution is statistically consistent with a population of progenitors that closely traces the ultra-violet light of galaxies. This is naturally explained by bursts which originate from the collapse of massive stars ``collapsars''). This claim is further supported by the unambiguous detections of intermediate-time (approximately three weeks after the bursts) emission ``bumps'' which appear substantially more red than the afterglows themselves. I claim that these bumps could originate from supernovae that occur at approximately the same time as the associated GRB; if true, GRB 980326 and GRB 011121 provide strong observational evidence connecting cosmological GRBs to high-redshift supernovae and implicate massive stars as the progenitors of at least some long-duration GRBs.
Publisher: Universal-Publishers
ISBN: 1581121695
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 198
Book Description
The various possibilities for the origin ("progenitors") of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) manifest in differing observable properties. Through deep spectroscopic and high-resolution imaging observations of some GRB hosts, I demonstrate that well-localized long-duration GRBs are connected with otherwise normal star-forming galaxies at moderate redshifts of order unity. Using high-mass binary stellar population synthesis models, I quantify the expected spatial extent around galaxies of coalescing neutron stars, one of the leading contenders for GRB progenitors. I then test this scenario by examining the offset distribution of GRBs about their apparent hosts making extensive use of ground-based optical data from Keck and Palomar and space-based imaging from the Hubble Space Telescope. The offset distribution appears to be inconsistent with the coalescing neutron star binary hypothesis (and, similarly, black-hole--neutron star coalescences); instead, the distribution is statistically consistent with a population of progenitors that closely traces the ultra-violet light of galaxies. This is naturally explained by bursts which originate from the collapse of massive stars ``collapsars''). This claim is further supported by the unambiguous detections of intermediate-time (approximately three weeks after the bursts) emission ``bumps'' which appear substantially more red than the afterglows themselves. I claim that these bumps could originate from supernovae that occur at approximately the same time as the associated GRB; if true, GRB 980326 and GRB 011121 provide strong observational evidence connecting cosmological GRBs to high-redshift supernovae and implicate massive stars as the progenitors of at least some long-duration GRBs.
Stellar Explosions
Author: Jordi Jose
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1439853088
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 467
Book Description
Stars are the main factories of element production in the universe through a suite of complex and intertwined physical processes. Such stellar alchemy is driven by multiple nuclear interactions that through eons have transformed the pristine, metal-poor ashes leftover by the Big Bang into a cosmos with 100 distinct chemical species. The products of
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1439853088
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 467
Book Description
Stars are the main factories of element production in the universe through a suite of complex and intertwined physical processes. Such stellar alchemy is driven by multiple nuclear interactions that through eons have transformed the pristine, metal-poor ashes leftover by the Big Bang into a cosmos with 100 distinct chemical species. The products of