Studies of Gamma-Ray Bursts in the Swift Era

This program includes research on a wide range of theoretical topics within the context of Gamma-ray Bursts (GRBs). The main objectives are to: (i) use GRBs as lighthouses of the high-redshift Universe, to probe the physical conditions of the Interstellar Medium in star-forming regions and their evolution with redshift; (ii) generalize previous dust echo calculations and use them to reconstruct the properties and distribution of dust around the massive stellar progenitors of GRBs; (iii) use the properties of short GRBs to learn about the various channels of binary star merger; (iv) perform a generalized study of ultra-relativistic shockwaves in arbitrary media; (v) study gravitational instabilities in the hyper-accreting disk believed to provide the GRB source of power. Broader impacts of the work include training of undergraduate and graduate students, and development of a planetarium show on GRBs at the Fiske Planetarium.