Gamma Ray Bursters: Cause of Short-Lived Flashes of Light

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    Gamma Gamma ray Ray
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the causes and characteristics of gamma ray bursts (GRBs), particularly focusing on their relationship with black holes and supernovae. Participants explore various models and hypotheses regarding the mechanisms behind these energetic phenomena, including the nature of the jets produced during stellar collapses and the potential for coherent photon production.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that long GRBs may be associated with hypernovae, where jets are emitted from the poles of a collapsing star, while others emphasize the need for more data to support this model.
  • There is a proposal that short GRBs could be explained by phenomena such as starquakes on magnetars, although this remains speculative due to insufficient data.
  • One participant discusses the rapid brightness variations of GRBs, suggesting that this indicates a small source size and theorizes about jets of matter and internal shock waves creating gamma rays.
  • Another participant questions the mechanism by which densely packed photons prevent each other from escaping, referencing the principle of superposition.
  • There is speculation about the possibility of GRBs being coherent photon producers like lasers, but a later reply challenges this idea, noting the lack of coherent photons observed.
  • Some contributions introduce concepts from quantum mechanics and cosmology, suggesting potential connections to GRBs, but these ideas are met with skepticism regarding their clarity and relevance.
  • Participants express uncertainty about the implications of various theories and the relationships between different physical phenomena related to GRBs.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of competing views on the causes and characteristics of GRBs, with no consensus reached on the mechanisms involved or the validity of the proposed models.

Contextual Notes

Some discussions reference the need for more observational data to validate or refute existing models. There are also mentions of unresolved mathematical steps and the speculative nature of certain hypotheses, particularly those linking GRBs to quantum gravity.

kurious
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What causes the short-lived, highly energetic, flash of light emitted by some
black holes as they are created?
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org
Could you clarify for me a bit please kurious?

Your thread title is 'gamma ray bursters', but your post refers to the creation of some black holes; clearly you have some idea that the two are somehow related - how?

Re GRBs: there are two types, 'long' and 'short'. There is some evidence to suggest that at least some of the 'long' GRBs are a kind of supernova, sometimes also called a hypernova. If so, then the observed gamma burst is a tight pair of jets which punch out of the poles of a star that's just gone hypernova. The models need a lot more work, and the observers need to provide lots more data, before one can have much confidence in these models. However, the core of the star does collapse to form a BH, but the intense jets are not directly associated with the BH, they're related to the accretion disk that forms around the collapsing core?

The 'short' GRBs continue to be an enigma; my personal favourite explanation is a starquake on a magnetar. Trouble is, there's so little data, and few models can be ruled out at present.
 
Its a hypernova (massive star collapsing directly into a black hole) with its jets pointed right at us.
 
Entropy said:
Its a hypernova (massive star collapsing directly into a black hole) with its jets pointed right at us.

And short burst gamma sources still defy explanation. Nereid poses a valid question.
 
Here's some information from WIKIPEDIA:
The brightness of GRBs varies rapidly, implying that their source objects are quite small: whatever causes the brightness variation cannot travel faster than the speed of light across the object. Very densely packed photons prevent each other from escaping, and astronomers therefore theorize that the energy initially leaves the object as a jet of matter, with gamma rays being created at a certain distance by internal shock waves.

There is some direct evidence of an association of a GRB with a supernova. A supernova synthesizes a wide range of heavy elements during its collapse, and many of these, particularly isotopes of nickel, are highly unstable and break down very quickly, releasing radiation. This means that a supernova actually gets brighter for a few days or weeks after its occurrence.

Kurious:
How do very densely packed photons prevent each other from escaping?
 
kurious said:
How do very densely packed photons prevent each other from escaping?

The principle of superposition.

If [itex]F_i[/itex] is a vector for i=1,2,3,...,n and if all these vector have the same magnitude then

[tex]\Sigma_{i=1}^{n} F_i = nF_i[/tex]

Implies all these vectors are collinear.
 
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A photon created in the core of the sun takes 10,000 years to reach the surface.
 
Could gamma ray bursters be coherent photon producers like lasers - hence their great energy output? This would imply that the source star has some sort of
cavity in it for resonance perhaps? Or cavities if there are lots of wavelengths emitted.
 
  • #10
kurious said:
Could gamma ray bursters be coherent photon producers like lasers - hence their great energy output? This would imply that the source star has some sort of
cavity in it for resonance perhaps? Or cavities if there are lots of wavelengths emitted.
Judging by what has been observed so far, no. IIRC, some polarisation has been observed - in both optical and gamma regimes? - in one or two long GRBs, but no coherent photons. Of course, once a lot more GRBs have been carefully observed ...
 
  • #11
I'm not sure what this has to do with GRBs sol2, perhaps you can elaborate please?

AFAIK, all models of GRBs involve massive, hot, dense bodies, such as the collapsing core of a massive star (>8 sol), or a neutron star (magnetar variety); surely no place for any self-respecting BEC to hang out! :wink: Nary an atom or molecule in sight. :-p
 
  • #12
sol2 said:
In terms of the Bose Nova, the "jets" might be negative energy that can be utilized for space travel in the dynamics of the universe?

If we saw such a collapse, let's say in terms of the Heisenberg Collapsing sphere, the geometrical consistency might have made itself known?

I had looked at early information here in regards to the A bomb and was wondering if Heisenberg actually saw more then anyone at the time?

It is risky to extrapolate conclusions from theories you do not entirely understand. Been there, done that.
 
  • #13
sol2 said:
Nereid,


Surely the https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=37841 itself would reveal information?

You have to encapsulate what the magnetic field is doing, and then look beyond this? :smile: Why I have referred to grvaity probe B, as something more then just looking at radiation interaction of Glast
I'm still at a loss sol2 - first you talk about BECs, then make a cryptic reference to magnetic fields and GPB, and link to a post about x-rays from the Milky Way centre, which itself has links to a strange site on M Theory.

What does any of this have to do with GRBs?
 
  • #14
Chronos said:
It is risky to extrapolate conclusions from theories you do not entirely understand. Been there, done that.

From theories you do not understand? :smile: When's the last time you have joined comological events to quantum mechanics and tried to develope the relationship to quantum geometry?

If you unit electromagnetism with gravity, what would you get? What would 4d of space look like?

From that perspective, the early event would have revealled information, one in the scattering as Glast shows us and another in regards to the strength of the gravitons?

Graviton shroud?

I guess that's it.


Thanks
 
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  • #15
sol2 said:
From theories you do not understand? :smile: When's the last time you have joined comological events to quantum mechanics and tried to develope the relationship to quantum geometry?

If you unit electromagnetism with gravity, what would you get? What would 4d of space look like?

From that perspective, the early event would have revealled information, one in the scattering as Glast shows us and another in regards to the strength of the gravitons?

Graviton shroud?

I guess that's it.
You seem to be saying that observational footprints of quantum gravity may be seen in GRBs, but so far it's all hand-waving (of just about the worst kind - vague allusions and mashed up experiments/theories/speculation) ... please show that there's some OOM reason to think that!
 
  • #16
Nereid said:
You seem to be saying that observational footprints of quantum gravity may be seen in GRBs, but so far it's all hand-waving (of just about the worst kind - vague allusions and mashed up experiments/theories/speculation) ... please show that there's some OOM reason to think that!

What the heck do you think we are doing with Glast? High energy considerations are necessary in settling a deeper perception of reality. LQG has recognized a limit.

But until then, the leading perspectives have not changed. Some are afraid to look over the Grand Canyon because it is so vast they hold tightly to the rails:)

Thanks for your time :smile:
 

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