gamma-ray burst

noun

variants: or less commonly gamma ray burst

Definition of gamma-ray burst

: a brief, powerful jet of gamma rays detected deep in space that is generated by the collapse and explosion of a celestial object

Eventually, though, the neutron star slows down, probably because of magnetic braking. Then it implodes, touching off a gamma ray burst.
—Govert Schilling

—abbreviation GRB

Recent Examples of gamma-ray burst from the Web

Most of his previous projects involved measuring X-rays or gamma rays from various snaps, crackles and pops in the cosmos, most recently the High Energy Transient Explorer, used to study the cataclysms known as gamma-ray bursts.

— dennis overbye, New York Times, "Meet TESS, Seeker of Alien Worlds," 26 Mar. 2018
If confirmed, the findings would offer the first solid clue as to what caused Earth's first mass extinction—hypothesized to be the result of everything from toxic metals unleashed in the oceans to radiation from a distant gamma-ray burst.

— shannon hall, Scientific American, "Volcanoes May Have Triggered the Last Unexplained Mass Extinction," 1 Aug. 2017
The discovery confirms that gamma-ray bursts can result from the collision of neutron stars, as well as that heavy elements are created as a result of violent collisions between stars.

— ashley strickland, CNN, "First-seen neutron star collision creates light, gravitational waves and gold," 16 Oct. 2017
Space telescopes observed a short gamma-ray burst, a powerful beam of radiation, coming from about the same part of the sky about two seconds later.

— marina koren, The Atlantic, "The Slack Chat That Changed Astronomy," 17 Oct. 2017
Astronomers found a fireball from a gamma-ray burst in 2013, but there was no proof that neutron stars were involved.

— dennis overbye, New York Times, "LIGO Detects Fierce Collision of Neutron Stars for the First Time," 16 Oct. 2017
The collision was simultaneously detected with the Fermi space telescope, confirming that neutron star mergers produce a phenomenon known as a short gamma-ray burst.

— john timmer, Ars Technica, "Neutron stars collide, solve major astronomical mysteries," 16 Oct. 2017
On August 17, scientists detected the gravitational waves of this stellar event, and then less than 2 seconds later spotted a gamma-ray burst coming from the same location.

— eva botkin-kowacki, The Christian Science Monitor, "Neutron star collision heralds arrival of a new era of astronomy," 16 Oct. 2017
For years, astrophysicists have speculated that gamma-ray bursts — one of the most energetic of nature’s phenomena and a potential threat to life anywhere — might be due to colliding neutron stars.

— NBC News, "LIGO Scientists Spy Neutron Star Smash-Up That Blew Bling Into Space," 16 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gamma-ray burst.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.