Search for Celestial X-ray Bursts

Abstract

Short time base astronomy is presently gaining interest because the transient phenomena involved are the most likely to be associated with high energy astrophysical processes. Just as solar flares and shock waves, rather than the quiet-time solar emissions, reveal the dynamics of high energy solar phenomena, catastrophic celestial events may produce a variety of analogous observable effects and possibly some which are entirely new. It may be that the rapidity of these celestial events, which is central to their production of great energy, will be the key that allows for their ease of observation. Pulsar glitches and X-ray flare stars have indicated a beginning to the variety of such phenomena. Studies of other fast time variations, particularly in the energetic X-ray and gamma-ray domain, as well as in the radio, infrared and other regimes, should provide new insights into such processes as the formation of pulsars, neutron stars and black holes. In particular, supernovae should ultimately be observable at the exact moment of collapse, through their production of gamma rays (Colgate, 1968). The detection of these energetic photons should reveal a considerable amount of new information about the supernova process itself, as well as calibrating the T-zero of the delayed optical emission, in order to better determine the absolute luminosity and distance of the event. Also, this information may assist in the determination of how effective supernovae are as generators of cosmic radiation. Finally, if detection techniques are sufficiently refined, it may be possible to observe the supernova gamma ray bursts from sources at vast distances, thereby providing a new tool for cosmological exploration.