paper

New perspectives in physics and astrophysics from the theoretical understanding of Gamma-Ray Bursts

arXiv:astro-ph/0302557 · doi:10.1063/1.1587092

Abstract

If due attention is given in formulating the basic equations for the Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) phenomenon and in performing the corresponding quantitative analysis, GRBs open a main avenue of inquiring on totally new physical and astrophysical regimes. This program is one of the greatest computational efforts in physics and astrophysics and cannot be actuated using shortcuts. A systematic approach has been highlighted in three paradigms: the relative space-time transformation (RSTT) paradigm, the interpretation of the burst structure (IBS) paradigm, the GRB-supernova time sequence (GSTS) paradigm. In fundamental physics new regimes are explored: (1) the process of energy extraction from black holes; (2) the quantum and general relativistic effects of matter-antimatter creation near the black hole horizon; (3) the physics of ultrarelativisitc shock waves with Lorentz gamma factor . In astronomy and astrophysics also new regimes are explored: (i) the occurrence of gravitational collapse to a black hole from a critical mass core of mass $M\agt 10M_\odot$, which clearly differs from the values of the critical mass encountered in the study of stars ``catalyzed at the endpoint of thermonuclear evolution" (white dwarfs and neutron stars); (ii) the extremely high efficiency of the spherical collapse to a black hole, where almost 99.99% of the core mass collapses leaving negligible remnant; (iii) the necessity of developing a fine tuning in the final phases of thermonuclear evolution of the stars, both for the star collapsing to the black hole and the surrounding ones, in order to explain the possible occurrence of the "induced gravitational collapse". A new class of space missions to acquire information on such extreme new regimes are urgently needed.

RevTeX4, 93 pages, 50 figures, to appear in the "Proceedings of the Xth Brazilian School of Cosmology and Gravitation", M. Novello, editor, AIP, in press

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