Gamma-Ray Bursts in the Swift Era

Jan, 2007
60 pages
Published in:
  • Chin.J.Astron.Astrophys. 7 (2007) 1-50
e-Print:

Citations per year

200720112015201920230246810
Abstract: (arXiv)
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.