Space-Time "Wrinkles" Igniting Odd Gamma-ray Bursts?
Unusually short but intense "fireballs" in the distant universe may be triggered by vibrating cosmic strings, a new study says.
Gamma-ray bursts are flashes of the most energetic form of light. The bursts happen about once a day somewhere in the universe, and some are so intense they can be seen even when they originate at the very edges of the observable universe, about 13 billion light years away. (See a picture of a gamma-ray burst that was visible to the naked eye.)
Some gamma-ray bursts stay visible for several seconds to a few minutes. Scientists think these long-duration bursts are created when the cores of very massive stars collapse and explode. (Related: "Ultrabright Gamma-ray Burst 'Blinded' NASA Telescope.")
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