AST 98-03157 Shrinivas Kulkarni Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) were discovered nearly three decades ago, but their origin remained mysterious. Dr. Kulkarni is searching to find radio and/or optical counterparts to these objects. He has detected red shifted absorption lines of intergalactic clouds in the optical afterglow of the GRB designated GRB 970508. He also measured the size of the radio afterglow and shown the superluminal (appears to move faster than the speed of light) expansion. Based on this work, he now is studying the physics of fireballs and also the nature of the host systems for GRBs. He has ready and rapid access to large optical and radio telescopes around the world, and is using these to follow up on all well localized bursts reported by BeppoSAX (Italian satellite), XTE/ASM (NASA satellite), and HETE-2 (NASA satellite due for launch in fall, 1999). Once a burst is localized, he conducts optical imaging observations followed by spectroscopy and radio observations of potential candidates. Once an afterglow candidate is identified, he is conducting broadband optical and infrared observations, searching for radio transients, spectroscopy of the source. *** ***
