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Science 2 January 2004:
Vol. 303. no. 5654, pp. 45 - 46
DOI: 10.1126/science.1091764
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Perspectives

ASTRONOMY:
Long Gamma-Ray Bursts

Andrew MacFadyen

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most luminous events in our universe. In his Perspective, MacFadyen discusses the likely origin of long-duration GRBs. Recent observations show that they are associated with the death of massive stars, as suggested by earlier observations and theoretical arguments. Supernova 2003dh coincided with GRB030329, confirming this picture. In a related Perspective, Rosswog discusses short-duration GRBs, which may be caused by a different mechanism involving the merger of two neutron stars or of a neutron star and a low-mass black hole.

The author is in the Department of Theoretical Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA. E-mail: andrew{at}tapir. caltech.edu

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)