| Description | Monday 18 - Wednesday 20 September 2006 Discussion Meeting at the Royal Society
Professor Martin Rees PRS, Professor Len Culhane FRS, Professor Keith Mason and Professor Alan Wells
New results from the SWIFT mission and new theoretical studies of gamma ray burst physics are defining the agenda for this meeting.
SWIFT has detected over 140 bursts since its launch in November 2004. It has obtained the first accurate localizations and afterglow detections of short bursts, leading to the discovery that the progenitors are indeed mergers in compact binary systems. SWIFT has detected many high-redshift GRBs, including one at z=6.29. The SWIFT high redshift sample traces the star formation rate in the Universe indicating that bursts at very high red-shifts are indeed emerging as new tools for exploring the intergalactic medium, the first stars and the earliest stages of galaxy formation. GRB's in the long-burst category exhibit unexpected structure and persistent flaring in the afterglow decay indicating extended activity of the central engine and throwing new light on the properties of collapsar models of GRBs. Two recent SWIFT detections of nearby bursts have stimulated new studies and theory on the GRB/SN connection.
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