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Gamma-Ray Bursts in the Swift Era

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TLDR
In this article, the authors review the rapid observational and theoretical progress in this dynamical research field during the first two-year of the Swift mission, focusing on how observational breakthroughs have revolutionized our understanding of the physical origins of GRBs.
Abstract
Since the successful launch of NASA's dedicated gamma-ray burst (GRB) mission, Swift, the study of cosmological GRBs has entered a new era. Here I review the rapid observational and theoretical progress in this dynamical research field during the first two-year of the Swift mission, focusing on how observational breakthroughs have revolutionized our understanding of the physical origins of GRBs. Besides summarizing how Swift helps to solve some pre-Swift mysteries, I also list some outstanding problems raised by the Swift observations. An outlook of GRB science in the future, especially in the GLAST era, is briefly discussed.

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Dark Energy

TL;DR: A survey of theoretical models and some aspects of numerical studies for dark energy can be found in this paper, where the authors review the problem of dark energy, including a survey of the theoretical models.
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The physics of gamma-ray bursts & relativistic jets

TL;DR: A comprehensive review of major developments in our understanding of gamma-ray bursts, with particular focus on the discoveries made within the last fifteen years when their true nature was uncovered, can be found in this paper.
Journal ArticleDOI

The Physics of Gamma-Ray Bursts and Relativistic Jets

TL;DR: A comprehensive review of major developments in the understanding of gamma-ray bursts can be found in this article, with particular focus on the discoveries made within the last fifteen years when their true nature was uncovered.
Journal ArticleDOI

The strongest cosmic magnets: soft gamma-ray repeaters and anomalous X-ray pulsars

Abstract: Two classes of X-ray pulsars, the anomalous X-ray pulsars and the soft gamma-ray repeaters, have been recognized in the last decade as the most promising candidates for being magnetars: isolated neutron stars powered by magnetic energy. I review the observational properties of these objects, focussing on the most recent results, and their interpretation in the magnetar model. Alternative explanations, in particular those based on accretion from residual disks, are also considered. The possible relations between these sources and other classes of neutron stars and astrophysical objects are also discussed.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI

The electromagnetic model of gamma-ray bursts

TL;DR: In this article, the electromagnetic model of gamma-ray bursts and a contrast of its main properties and predictions with the hydrodynamic fireball model (FBM) and its magnetohydrodynamical extension are described.
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Luminosity function of gamma-ray bursts derived without benefit of redshifts

TL;DR: In this paper, the Euclidean value of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) selected on a timescale of 1024 ms is correlated with spectral hardness, and the luminosity-hardness correlation cannot be shown explicitly as a result of the small number of observed GRB redshifts at the present time.
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Optical Flashes and Radio Flares in Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglow: Numerical Study

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors studied the evolution of an adiabatic relativistic fireball interacting with an ambient uniform medium, both in the initial energy transfer stage and in its late evolution.
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Quasi-universal Gaussian Jets: A Unified Picture for Gamma-Ray Bursts and X-Ray Flashes

TL;DR: In this article, the current gamma-ray bursts-X-ray flashes (XRF) prompt emission/afterglow data can be understood in terms of a picture in which the GRB-XRF jets are quasi-universal and structured, with a Gaussian-like or similar structure, i.e., one where the jet has a characteristic angle, with mild variation of energy inside and a rapid (e.g., exponential) decrease of energy outside of it.
Journal ArticleDOI

High Energy Spectral Components in Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglows

TL;DR: In this paper, a simple analytical approach was developed for the effects of photon-photon pair production, and the conditions under which one or the other of the two high energy radiation mechanisms dominates.
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