Gamma ray bursts: some facts and ideas

Abstract

Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) are the most explosive events after the big bang: their energy output corresponds to a sizeable fraction of a solar mass entirely converted into energy in a few seconds. Although many questions about their progenitors remain to be answered, it is likely that they are generated by a newly formed and fast spinning black hole. The colossal power characterizing GRBs is carried by a surprisingly small amount of matter, which is accelerated to speeds differing from c by one part in ten thousands. GRBs are then the most (special and general) relativistic objects we know of. Since GRBs are the brightest sources at high redshift, albeit for a limited amount of time, they are also the best torchlights we have to shine the far universe.