[32.12] Gamma-Ray Bursts and Relativistic Phenomena in Supernovae

AAS 200th meeting, Albuquerque, NM, June 2002
Session 32. Core-Collapse of Massive Stars: Supernovae and Gamma-Ray Bursts
Topical Session Oral, Tuesday, June 4, 2002, 8:30-10:00am, 10:45am-12:30pm, 2:00-3:30pm, 3:45-5:30pm, Ballroom C

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[32.12] Gamma-Ray Bursts and Relativistic Phenomena in Supernovae

C. D. Matzner (CITA)

A growing body of circumstantial evidence favors the hypothesis that some supernovae give rise to long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). However, the presence of a stellar envelope poses a severe baryon-loading problem for the relativistic motions required for GRBs. I review the solutions to this problem proposed in different models for GRBs from stellar explosions. These include the concentration of energy by an accelerating shock front during shock breakout, and the clearing-aside of envelope material by a jet -- which may both occur, giving distinct types of GRBs. Many aspects of both types remain to be worked out. The existence of extremely-energetic hypernova explosions, suggested in response to large isotropic energies, remains an intriguing possibilty with distinctive observational implications.

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