Gamma-ray bursts from planetesimal accretion

Abstract

Planetesimals that form following the explosion of supernovae provide a reservoir of material that can be accreted and generate high energy transient emission long after the neutron star has ceased being a pulsar. Blue supergiants, which would have been the predominant progenitor of supernovae during galaxy formation, may be particularly efficient in producing such systems. Owing to their birth at an early epoch and the kick velocity given the neutron star during the explosion, these sources would lie in a very extended halo. In this picture, some or most gamma-ray bursters would be 10 exp 10 year old relics of galaxy formation. At a minimum a very thick disk population would be expected.