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Measuring the Universe with Gamma–Ray Bursts: status, perspectives and SKA contribution
Author(s) -
Amati Lorenzo
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
annalen der physik
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.009
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1521-3889
pISSN - 0003-3804
DOI - 10.1002/andp.201400071
Subject(s) - physics , gamma ray burst , redshift , astrophysics , luminosity , universe , dark energy , fermi gamma ray space telescope , cosmic distance ladder , metric expansion of space , astronomy , luminosity distance , spectral energy distribution , energy (signal processing) , cosmology , galaxy , quantum mechanics
Despite they are not standard candles, the investigation of Gamma–Ray Bursts (GRBs) as a tool for measuring the geometry and expansion rate of the Universe is strongly motivated by their unique combination of huge luminosity, up to more than 10 53 erg/s, with a redshift distribution extending up to more than z = 8. In the recent years, several attempts to exploit the correlation between the photon energy at which the ν F νspectrum peaks (“peak energy”) and the “intensity” (radiated energy or luminosity) for “standardizing” GRBs and using them to estimate cosmological parameters have been made. These studies show that already with the present data–set GRBs can provide a significant and independent estimate of Ω M = 0.29− 0.15 + 0.28for a flat ΛCDM universe and that the measurements expected from present and next GRB experiments (e.g. Swift , Fermi /GBM, SVOM, UFFO) will allow us to get clues on dark energy properties and evolution. Under this respect, the study of GRBs will contribute significantly to some of the SKA main science goals, through the characterization by SKA of their radio emission with unprecedented sensitivity and by using the results of GRB measurements at other wavelengths to complement SKA key science project observations of other astrophysical sources.