Gamma-ray bursts: How does Mother Nature do it?

by Ralph Wijers (Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam)

Friday 16 Jan 2009, 10:30 → 12:00 Europe/Stockholm

FA31

Broadly speaking, GRBs are the result of a very energetic explosion that dumps a strongly relativistic outflow into its environment. The dissipation of the outflow energy causes the radiation we see. However, that being said, much of the manner in which the happens, and the way in which the outflwo is created, is yet poorly understood. I will give a critical update on what we know, and on how we hope to learn more in the coming years. Host: Garrelt Mellema