2001/11/30 by G. Ghisellini, Ghisellini, G.
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysics (astro-ph) #FOS: Physical sciences #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.astro-ph/0111584
29 pages, 20 figures, Invited talk at the 25th Johns Hopkins Workshop: "2001: A Relativistic Spacetime Odyssey. Experiments and Theoretical Viewpoints on General Relativity and Quantum Gravity", Florence, Sep. 2001
arxiv created 2001/11/30 · openalex publication_date 2001/11/30 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) are the most explosive events after the big bang: their energy output corresponds to a sizeable fraction of a solar mass entirely converted into energy in a few seconds. Although many questions about their progenitors remain to be answered, it is likely that they are generated by a newly formed and fast spinning black hole. The colossal power characterizing GRBs is carried by a surprisingly small amount of matter, which is accelerated to speeds differing from c by one part in ten thousands. GRBs are then the most (special and general) relativistic objects we know of. Since GRBs are the brightest sources at high redshift, albeit for a limited amount of time, they are also the best torchlights we have to shine the far universe.