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Session 33 - Gamma-ray Burst Counterparts and Afterglows.
Topical, Oral session, Tuesday, June 09
Friars,
Several breakthrough discoveries were made last year of x-ray, optical and radio afterglows from gamma-ray bursts. In one case, the counterpart was associated with an extended object that could be a distant galaxy; in another case, a redshift has been associated with a counterpart object. These discoveries were made possible by the fast, accurate gamma-ray burst locations of the BeppoSAX satellite. It is now generally believed that the burst sources are at cosmological distances and that they represent the most powerful explosions in the Universe. These observations also open new possibilities for the study of early star formation, the physics of extreme conditions and even cosmology.
This session will concentrate on recent x-ray, optical and radio afterglow observations of gamma-ray bursts, associated redshift measurements, and counterpart observations. Several review and theory talks will also be presented, along with a summary of the astrophysical implications of the observations. There will be additional poster contributions on observations of gamma-ray burst source locations at wavelengths other than gamma rays. Posters are also solicited that describe new observational capabilities for rapid follow-up observations of gamma-ray bursts.
