Abstract
Being the most extreme explosions in the universe, gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) provide a unique laboratory to study various plasma physics phenomena. The complex light curve andbroad-band, non-thermal spectra indicate a very complicated system on the one hand, but, on the other hand, provide a wealth of information to study it. In this chapter, I focus on recent progress in some of the key unsolved physical problems. These include: (1) particle acceleration and magnetic field generation in shock waves; (2) possible role of strong magnetic fields in accelerating the plasmas, and accelerating particles via the magnetic reconnection process; (3) various radiative processes that shape the observed light curve and spectra, both during the prompt and the afterglow phases, and finally (4) GRB environments and their possible observational signature.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 33 |
Journal | Galaxies |
Volume | 7 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2019 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Acknowledgments: A.P. acknowledges support by the European Research Council via the ERC consolidating Grant No. 773062 (acronym O.M.J.). I wish to thank Antoine Bret for useful discussions.
Funding Information:
Funding: This research was funded by the European Research Council via the ERC consolidating Grant No. 773062 (acronym O.M.J.).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 by the authors.
Keywords
- Galaxies: active
- Gamma-ray bursts
- Jets
- Radiation mechanism: non-thermal
- TBD