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9 May 2013: New Moon

9 May 2013: New Moon. Image: May 2012 annular eclipse, Monument Valley AZ. GRB 130427. 4 hour long burst seen by Fermi z=0.34. AST101 The Biggest Explosions Since the Big Bang. 1967: A Mystery Unfolds. Vela 5b. A Century of Gamma Ray Bursts, R. Nemiroff, 1994. Clues.

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9 May 2013: New Moon

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  1. 9 May 2013: New Moon Image: May 2012 annular eclipse, Monument Valley AZ

  2. GRB 130427 4 hour long burst seen by Fermi z=0.34

  3. AST101The Biggest Explosions Since the Big Bang

  4. 1967: A Mystery Unfolds Vela 5b

  5. A Century of Gamma Ray Bursts, R. Nemiroff, 1994

  6. Clues • Large energy release • Fast energy release • Only high energy photons seen

  7. Possibilities Include… • Asteroids or comets falling onto neutron stars • neutron starquakes • neutron star novae • stellar flares • black holes • white holes • active galactic nuclei • collisions of cosmic strings • strange matter • supernovae

  8. More Clues

  9. More Clues Isotropic distribution on the sky: • They can be faint and close (within a few hundred light years). • They can be associated with the halo of the galaxy. • They can be bright and very far away.

  10. Isotropy High degree of isotropy means • They can not originate in the Galaxy • They must be cosmological • Energies exceed 1051 ergs

  11. The Problem • Gamma rays do not focus well • Localization by timing • 5-10 degree positions Compton Gamma Ray Observatory

  12. The Solution Beppo-SAX: Satellite per Astronomia X (1996-2002) Combined burst detector with X-ray imager

  13. z=0.8

  14. Irregular galaxy, z=3.4

  15. GRB 980425 coincident with sn 1998 bw galaxy is ESO 184-G82, distance = 100 MLy

  16. GRB 011121 optical decay

  17. What are the GRBs? • Peculiar type Ic supernovae (collapse of a massive star) • Collisions/mergers between neutron stars • There is about 1/day in the universe, or 1/200 Myr/galaxy

  18. What are the GRBs? • And… some are terrestrial – probably associated with lightning and/or the red sprites and blue jets.

  19. Why the GRBs are Important • They are the brightest things in the universe • They are standard candles for the youngest, most distant parts of the universe • They can be deadly

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