Gamma-ray burst progenitors are the types of celestial objects that can emit gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). GRBs show an extraordinary degree of diversity. They can last anywhere from a fraction of a second to many minutes. Bursts could have a single profile or oscillate wildly up and down in intensity, and their spectra are highly variable unlike other objects in space. The near complete lack of observational constraint led to a profusion of theories, including evaporating black holes, magnetic flares on white dwarfs, accretion of matter onto neutron stars, antimatter accretion, supernovae, hypernovae, and rapid extraction of rotational energy from supermassive black holes, among others.[1][2]
There are at least two different types of progenitors (sources) of GRBs: one responsible for the long-duration, soft-spectrum bursts and one (or possibly more) responsible for short-duration, hard-spectrum bursts. The progenitors of long GRBs are believed to be massive, low-metallicity stars exploding due to the collapse of their cores. The progenitors of short GRBs are thought to arise from mergers of compact binary systems like neutron stars, which was confirmed by the GW170817 observation of a neutron star merger and a kilonova.
- ^ Ruderman, M. (1975). "Theories of gamma-ray bursts". Texas Symposium on Relativistic Astrophysics. 262 (1 Seventh Texas): 164–180. Bibcode:1975NYASA.262..164R. doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.1975.tb31430.x. S2CID 83006091.
- ^ "Gamma-ray burst supports hypernova hypothesis". cerncourier.com. September 4, 2003. Retrieved 2007-10-14.