Gamma-ray bursts were believed to be due to mergers of two neutron stars, not black holes. LIGO's observation of a NS-NS merger coincident with a gamma-ray burst has strongly confirmed this picture.
I see. In the back of my mind there was still the possibility that it could have been created by two black holes merging or a neutron star falling into a black hole.
... I wonder, if a neutron star and a black hole merge, does the neutron star get shredded early enough to form an accretion disk, or does it just disappear like a marble falling into a hole?
For some reason my imagination is quite lively today, these questions just keep popping up in my head like banner ads. ;-)
... I wonder, if a neutron star and a black hole merge, does the neutron star get shredded early enough to form an accretion disk, or does it just disappear like a marble falling into a hole?
For some reason my imagination is quite lively today, these questions just keep popping up in my head like banner ads. ;-)