Issue |
EAS Publications Series
Volume 61, 2013
Gamma-ray Bursts: 15 Years of GRB Afterglows – Progenitors, Environments and Host Galaxies from the Nearby to the Early Universe
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Page(s) | 585 - 593 | |
Section | Chapter XII: Cosmology and Early Universe | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/eas/1361094 | |
Published online | 22 July 2013 |
A.J. Castro-Tirado, J.Gorosabel and I.H. Park (eds)
EAS Publications Series, 61 (2013) 585-593
Gamma-ray Bursts and the First Stars
Department of Astronomy, University of Texas at Austin,
USA
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) triggered by the death of the first stars promise to provide a powerful probe into the state of the high-redshift universe. I will review the basic physics of how the first stars formed, evaluating whether they are suitable GRB progenitors. After providing estimates of the high-redshift GRB number density, I will discuss the utility of such bursts in probing the ionization state, and the degree of metal enrichment, of the early intergalactic medium. The prospects for these studies are bright, provided that we can fly a dedicated mission that combines a gamma-ray detector with on-board near-infrared capabilities.
© EAS, EDP Sciences 2013