Addressing Selected Gamma-Ray Burst Science Topics with Future Space Instruments
Nicolas De Angelis
TL;DR
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) offer deep insights into stellar collapse, extreme matter, and cosmology, but progress hinges on detecting high-redshift events, improving multi-messenger localization, securing broad afterglow follow-up, and constraining prompt-emission polarization. The paper surveys upcoming and proposed space missions across four frontiers, detailing instrument concepts, capabilities, and status updates to illustrate how the field may advance. Key contributions include systematic overviews of platforms like Gamow, HiZ-GUNDAM, SVOM, THESEUS, MoonBEAM, COSI, POLAR-2, LEAP, and HERMES pathfinder, and their roles in high-z GRB studies, multi-messenger networks, afterglow coverage, and polarization measurements. Collectively, the discussed missions aim to enable deeper understanding of reionization, jet dynamics, magnetic fields, and GRB progenitors through wide-field detection, rapid localization, multi-wavelength follow-up, and polarization constraints, signaling a transformative decade for GRB astrophysics.
Abstract
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are among the most energetic events in the universe, offering insights into stellar collapse, extreme matter behavior, and cosmic evolution. The advent of multi-messenger astronomy, combining electromagnetic, gravitational wave, and neutrino observations, alongside advances in high-energy polarimetry, is revolutionizing GRB research, enabling deeper exploration of their physical mechanisms. This manuscript summarizes how upcoming and proposed space-based missions will tackle key challenges in GRB science, focusing on four areas: (i) identifying high-redshift GRBs to probe the early universe, (ii) enhancing multi-messenger detection and localization, (iii) improving multi-wavelength follow-up of GRB afterglows, and (iv) studying prompt emission polarization to understand jet dynamics and magnetic fields. Highlighting planned missions and their advancements, this work provides a snapshot of current GRB research frontiers, with updates on the evolving status of these missions.