Gamma-ray burst spikes could resolve stars

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) vary more rapidly than any other known cosmological phenomena. The lower limits of this variability have not yet been explored. Improvements in detectors would reveal or limit the actual rate of short GRBs. Were microsecond spike GRBs to exist and be detectable, they would time-resolve stellar mass objects throughout the universe by their gravitational microlensing effect. Analyzing the time structure of sufficient numbers of GRB spikes would reveal or limit Ωstar, ΩMACHO, and Ωbaryon. © 1998. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved