Skip to main content
Log in

Cosmic gamma-ray bursts

  • Published:
Space Science Reviews Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The observational characteristics of gamma-ray bursts are reviewed, concerning their spectra as well as their temporal structure and spatial distribution. From this data, it is suggested that the sources belong to a thick halo population (scale height > 3 kpc), and that the mean recurrence time for one source is greater than 5 yr. The implications of these results are discussed, concerning the future experimental perspectives of detection of gamma-ray bursts, and also the constraints on theoretical models.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barat, C.: 1983, Workshop on e + e- Pairs in Astrophysics, January 1983, GSFC.

  • Barat, C., Chambon, G., Hurley, K., Niel, M., Vedrenne, G., Estulin, I. V., Kurt, V. G., and Zenchenko, V. M.: 1979, Astron. Astrophys. 79, L24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barat, C., Chambon, G., Hurley, K., Niel, M., Vedrenne, G., Estulin, I. V., Kuznetsov, A. V., and Zenchenko, V. M.: 1981a, Space Sci. Instr. 5, 229.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barat, C., Chambon, G., Hurley, K., Niel, M., Vedrenne, G., Estulin, I. V., Kuznetsov, A. V., and Zenchenko, V. M.: 1981b, Astrophys. Space Sci. 75, 83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barat, C., Chambon, G., Hurley, K., Niel, M., and Vedrenne, G.: 1982a, Astron. Astrophys. 109, L9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barat, C.: 1982b, in Symposium on Gamma Ray Astronomy in Perspective of Future Space Experiments, Ottawa, May 1982, 2-4-4.

  • Bisnovatyi-Kogan, G. S. and Chechetkin, W. M.: 1980, preprint Inst. for Space Research Acad. Nauk SSSR 561.

  • Bonazzola, S., Hameury, J. M., Heyvaerts, J., and Ventura, J.: 1982, in Proc. Workshop Accreting Neutron Stars MPI, Garching, July 1982, p. 241.

  • Brecher, K.: 1982, in Gamma Ray Transients and Related Astrophysical Phenomena, AIP Conference Proceedings No. 77, AIP, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bussard, R. W. and Lamb, F. K.: 1982, in Gamma Ray Transients and Related Astrophysical Phenomena, AIP Conference Proceedings No. 77, New York, p. 189.

  • Chambon, G.: 1982, ‘Etude des sursauts gamma dans le cadre du programme SIGNE’, Doctorat thesis No. 1045, UPS Toulouse, France.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chevalier, C., Ilovaisky, S., Motch, Ch., Barat, C., Hurley, K., Niel, M., Vedrenne, G., Laros, J., Evans, W., Fenimore, E., Klebesadel, R., Estulin, I. V., and Zenchenko, V.: 1981, Astron. Astrophys. Letters 100, L1.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cline, T. L.: 1982, in Symposium on Gamma Ray Astronomy in Perspective of Future Space Experiments at the XXIV COSPAR, Ottawa 2-4-2.

  • Colgate, S. A. and Petschek, A. G.: 1981, Astrophys. J. 248, 771.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cline, T. L. and Desai, U. D.: 1976, Astrophys. Space Sci. 42, 17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cline, T. L., Desai, U. D., Klebesadel, R. W., and Strong, I. B.: 1973, Astrophys. J. Letters 185, L1.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cline, T. L., Desai, U. D., Schmidt, W. K. H., and Teegarden, B. J.: 1977, Nature 266, 694.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dennis, B. R., Frost, K. J., Kiplinger, A. L., Orwig, Desai, U., and Cline, T. L.: 1982, in Gamma Ray Transients and Related Astrophysical Phenomena, AIP Conference Proceedings No. 77, New York, p. 153.

  • Desai, U. D.: 1981, Astrophys. Space Sci. 75, 15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fabian, A. C., Icke, V., and Pringle, J. E.: 1976, Astrophys. Space Sci. 42, 77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fenimore, E., Klebesadel, R. W., Laros, J. G., Stockdale, R. E., and Kane, S. R.: 1981, Nature 297, 665.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fenimore, E. E., Laros, J. G., Klebesadel, R. W., Stockdale, R. E., and Kane, S. R.: 1982a, in Gamma Ray Transients and Related Astrophysical Phenomena, AIP Conference Proceedings No. 77, AIP, New York, p. 201.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fenimore, E., Klebesadel, R. W., and Laros, J. G.: 1982b, in Symposium on Gamma Ray Astronomy in Perspective of Future Space Experiments, XXIV COSPAR, Ottawa, 2-4-6.

  • Fishman, G. J.: 1979, Astrophys. J. 238, 851.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grindlay, J. E., Cline, T., Desai, U. D., Teegarden, B. J., Pizzichini, G., Evans, W. D., Klebesadel, R. W., Laros, J. G., Hurley, K., Niel, M., and Vedrenne, G.: 1983, submitted to Nature.

  • Hameury, J. M., Bonazzola, S., Heyvaerts, J., and Ventura, J.: 1982, Astron. Astrophys. 111, 242.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harwit, M. and Salpeter, E. E.: 1973, Astron. J. Letters 187, L97.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoshi, R.: 1976, Prog. Theoret. Phys. 56, 542.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hueter, G. J. and Gruber, D. E.: 1982, in Proc. Workshop on Accreting Neutron Stars MPI, Garching July 1982, p. 213.

  • Hurley, K.: 1982a, Workshop on Gamma Ray Transients and Related Astrophysical Phenomena, La Jolla, August, 1981.

  • Hurley, K.: 1982b, in Symposium on Gamma Ray Astronomy in Perspective of Future Space Experiments, XXIV COSPAR, Ottawa, Pergamon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hurley, K.: 1982c, in Gamma Ray Transients and Related Astrophysical Phenomena, AIP Conf. Proc. No. 77, AIP, New York, p. 85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Illarionov, A. F. and Sunyaev, R. A.: 1975, Astron. Astrophys. 39, 185.

    Google Scholar 

  • Imhof, W. L., Nakano, G. H., Johnson, R. G., Kilner, J. R., Reagan, J. B., Klebesadel, R. W., and Strong, I. B.: 1975, Astrophys. J. 198, L7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jennings, M. C.: 1982, Astrophys. J. 258, 110; also in Gamma Ray Transients and Related Astrophysical Phenomena, La Jolla, 1981, p. 107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jennings, M. C. and White, S.: 1980, Astrophys. J. 238, 110.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kane, S. R. and Anderson, K. A.: 1976, Astrophys. J. 210, 875.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kane, S. R. and Share, G. H.: 1977, Astrophys. J. 217, 549.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klebesadel, R. W., Fenimore, E. E., Laros, J. G., and Terrell, J.: 1982a, in Gamma Ray Transients and Related Astrophysical Phenomena, AIP Conference Proceedings No. 77, New York, U.S.A.

  • Klebesadel, R. W., Evans, D., Laros, J., Cline, T., Desai, U., Barat, C., Hurley, K., Niel, M., Vedrenne, G., Estulin, I. V., Kuznetsov, A. V., and Zenchenko, V. M.: 1982b, Astrophys. J. Letters 259, L51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lamb, D. Q.: 1982, in Gamma Ray Transients and Related Astrophysical Phenomena, AIP Conference Proceedings No. 77, AIP, New York, p. 249.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lamb, D. Q., Lamb, F. K., and Pines, D.: 1973, Nat. Phys. Sci. 246, 52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lamb, F. K.: 1980, Compact Galactic X-Ray Sources, Lamb and Pines Ed.

  • Lamb, F. K., Pethick, C. J., and Pines, D.: 1973, Astrophys. J. 184, 271.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laros, J. G., Evans, W. D., Fenimore, E. E., and Klebesadel, R. W.: 1982, Astrophys. Space Sci. 88, 243.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loznikov, V. and Kuznetsov, A. V.: 1982, Acad. Sci. USSR, Preprint No. 743.

  • Mazets, E. P. and Golenetskii, S. V.: 1981, Astrophys. Space Sci. 75, 47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mazets, E. P. and Golenetskii, S. V.: 1982, Astrophys. Space Sci. 88, 247.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mazets, E. P., Golenetskii, S. V., Ilinsky, V. N., Panov, V. N., Aptekar, R. L., Guryan, Yu. A., Proskura, M. P., Sokolov, I. A., Sokolova, Z. Ya., Kharitronova, T. V.: 1979, Nature 282, 587.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mazets, E. P., Golenetskii, S. V., Ilinsky, V. N., Panov, V. N., Aptekar, R. L., Guryan, Yu. A., Proskura, M. P., Sokolov, I. A., Sokolova, Z. Ya., and Kharitronova, T. V.: 1980a, Dokl. Acad. Sci. USSR No. 686.

  • Mazets, E. P., Golenetskii, S. V., Ilinsky, V. N., Panov, V. N., Aptekar, R. L., Guryan, Yu. A., Proskura, M. P., Sokolova, Z. Ya., Kharitronova, T. V., Diatchkov, A. V., and Khavenson, N. G.: 1980b, Astrophys. Space Sci. 80.

  • Mazets, E. P. and Golenetskii, S. V.: 1981a, Astrophys. Space Sci. Rev. 1, Sunyaev (ed.).

  • Mazets, E. P., Golenetskii, S. V., Aptekar, R. L., Guryan, Yu. A., and Illinsky, V. N.: 1981b, Nature 290, 378.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pacini, F. and Ruderman, M.: 1974, Nature 251, 399.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pizzichini, G.: 1980, Bull. Am. Phys. Soc. 12(2), 448; also in Gamma Ray Transients and Related Astrophysical Phenomena, AIP Conf. Proceedings No. 77, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pizzichini, G.: 1982, in International Symposium and Workshop on Accreting Neutron Stars, Max Planck Inst., Garching, June 1982, p. 237.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pizzichini, G., Danziger, J., Grosbol, P., Tarenghi, M., Cline, T. L., Desai, U. D., Mushotsky, R., Teegarden, B. J., Evans, W. D., Klebesadel, R. W., Laros, J. G., Barat, C., Hurley, K., Niel, M., Vedrenne, G., Esulin, I. V., Mersov, G., Zenchenko, V. M., and Kurt, V.: 1981, Space Sci. Rev. 30, 467.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramaty, R., Lingenfelter, R. E., and Bussard, R. W.: 1981, Astrophys. Space Sci. 75, 193.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruderman, M.: 1975, Ann. New York Acad. Sci. 262, 164.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schaefer, B. E.: 1981, Nature 294, 722.

    Google Scholar 

  • Share, G. H., Stricman, M. S., Kinzer, R. L., Chupp, E. L., Forrest, D. J., Ryan, J. M., Rieger, E., Reppin, C, and Kanbach, G.: 1981, Proceedings 17th ICRC, Paper XG-2-1-4, Paris.

  • Share, G. H., Kurfess, J. D., Dee, S., Chupp, E. L., Ryan, J. M., Forrest, D. J., Lanigan, J., Rieger, E., Kanbach, G., and Reppin, C.: 1982, in Gamma Ray Transients and Related Astrophysical Phenomena, AIP Conf. Proceedings No. 77, AIP, New York, p. 45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Strong, I. B., Klebesadel, R. W., and Olson, R. A.: 1974, Astrophys. J. Letters 188, L1.

    Google Scholar 

  • Takahara, F. and Hoshi, R.: 1978, Prog. Theor. Phys. 59, 425.

    Google Scholar 

  • Teegarden, B. J. and Cline, T. L.: 1981, Astrophys. Space Sci. 75, 181.

    Google Scholar 

  • Terrell, J., Evans, W. D., Klebesadel, R. W., and Laros, J. G.: 1980, Nature 285, 383.

    Google Scholar 

  • Terrell, J., Fenimore, E., Klebesadel, R. W., and Desai, U. D.: 1982, Astrophys. J. 254, 279.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tsygan, A. I.: 1975, Astrophys. Space Sci. 44, 21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vedrenne, G.: 1981, Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. London A301, 645.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ventura, J.: 1982a, in Symposium on Gamma Ray Astronomy in Perspective of Future Space Experiments, XXIV COSPAR, Ottawa 2–4–3, Pergamon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ventura, J.: 1982b, in Proc. Workshop on Accreting Neutron Stars, MPI Garching, July 1982, p. 250.

  • Ventura, J., Bonazzola, S., Hameury, J. M., and Heyvaerts, J.: 1982, Nature, preprint.

  • Wood, K. S., Byram, E. T., Chubb, T. A., Friedmann, H., Meekins, J. F., Share, G. H., and Yentis, D. J.: 1981, Astrophys. J. 247, 632.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woosley, S. E., and Livermore, L.: 1982, in Gamma Ray Transients and Related Astrophysical Phenomena, AIP Conf. Proceedings No. 77, AIP, New York, p. 273.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woosley, S. E. and Taam, R. E.: 1976, Nature 263, 101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woosley, S. E. and Wallace, R. K.: 1982, Astrophys. J. 258, 696.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yoshimori, M.: 1978, Australian J. Phys. 31, 189.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Proceedings of the XVIII General Assemly of the IAU: Galactic Astrophysics and Gamma-Ray Astronomy, held at Patras, Greece, 19 August 1982.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Vedrenne, G., Chambon, G. Cosmic gamma-ray bursts. Space Sci Rev 36, 319–335 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00247096

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00247096

Keywords

Navigation