| Abstract |
Gamma Ray Bursts (GRB) are the instantaneously most luminous objects in
the Universe and represent the most significant astrophysical phenomenon
since the discovery of pulsars and quasars. Originally discovered in the
1960's by US satellites monitoring violations of nuclear test ban
treaties, these intense but brief flashes of high-energy gamma rays
remained an enigma until the 1990's when new scientific satellites and
ground-based followup observations at other wavelengths revolutionised the
study of GRBs and established their cosmological origin. In this talk, I
will present the current state of play in this rapidly evolving research
field, concentrating on physical insight gained from real-time
observations across the electromagnetic spectrum that address
fundamental issues such as the properties of magnetic fields in the
relativistic fireball, long-lived central engines and the prospects for
using GRBs as probes of the high redshift Universe.
|