THE PHYSICS OF GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

Cosmic gamma-ray bursts, transient sources that radiate most of their observable emission in gamma-rays above 10 keV, have been an enigma for two decades. Although a remarkably diverse range of models has been proposed, there is no consensus on the energy source or radiation mechanism of the bursts. This article will review the growing body of evidence that gamma-ray bursts may be galactic neutron stars, as well as the most recent models involving neutron-star origin.