Gamma Ray Bursts : probing burst environments in high redshift galaxies

Abstract

First discovered in the late 1960s, Gamma Ray Bursts have remained something of a cosmic mystery for almost four decades. It has only been quite recently that the nature of these phenomena is beginning to be understood. It was not until the late 1990s that GRBs were confirmed to occur at cosmological distances. This makes GRBs the most energetic explosion known in the Universe, thought to arise from the cataclysmic core collapse of a massive star or through the interaction of two compact objects, such as the merger of two neutron stars. Not only do GRBs themselves pose an interesting astrophysical problem, but they offer a superb opportunity to act as bright beacons, illuminating the Universe between them and the observer.