Toward an Understanding of the Progenitors of Gamma-Ray Bursts (Paperback)

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 atleast some long-duration GRBs.

General

Imprint:	Dissertation.Com. - Do Not Use
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	November 2002
First published:	November 2002
Authors:	Joshua S. Bloom
Dimensions:	216 x 140 x 12mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback - Trade
Pages:	200
ISBN-13:	978-1-58112-169-8
Categories:	Books > Science & Mathematics > Physics > Applied physics & special topics > Astrophysics
LSN:	1-58112-169-5
Barcode:	9781581121698

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