Some of the readers here may be aware that the biggest explosive events known are Gamma Ray Bursters (GRB). An average supernovae (type II) puts out enough energy to outshine it's parent galaxy. A GRB event is thousands of times more luminous but in the gamma ray spectrum. A recent event had the honour of having an optical couterpart associated with it.

So, OK, what causes such huge explosions. Current thought is that huge stars such as S-Doradus or Eta Carinae go Supernovae in a nebulae and the shock wave causes the GRB.

But what if you had, like in 30 Doradus, a number of supermassive stars in close proximity. Close enough to form a binary system. Close enough to form a single stellar envelope with two super massive cores. Then one core goes supernovae, forms a black hole inside the shell of an unstable star. Could the shock wave of neutrinos and other particles hitting the other unstable core cause both to go Supernovae resulting in a major explosion. The resulting massive shock wave to the stellar envelope should result in massive acceleration of the plasma resulting in a pure gamma ray spectrum? NB This is purely speculative.

Problem is, why is there no optical signature or associated neutrino flux detected.

Another model is that two magnetars could coalesce to form the GRB.

Nature as they say is more wierd than we can imagine.

Yelmalio

• Gamma Ray Burst Homepage