Enrico Costa - Böcker

Due to the advent of a new generation of detectors, X-ray polarimetry promises to join X-ray imaging, spectroscopy and timing as one of the main observational techniques in high energy astrophysics. This has renewed interest in the field, and indeed several polarimetric missions have recently been proposed. This volume provides a complete and up-to-date view of the subject for researchers in astrophysics. The contributors discuss the present status and perspectives of instruments, review current theoretical models, and examine future missions. As well as detailed papers, the book contains broad reviews that can be easily understood by astrophysicists new to the field.

The information received from BeppoSAX, Chandra and other instruments in the last two years has more than doubled the number of samples of Gamma-Ray Bursts localized and followed up for afterglow search. This has also increased the interest of astronomers in GRBs. This book reviews the research of the last two years and covers the global properties of GRBs, GRB afterglows, GRB host galaxies, cosmology using GRBs, and theories for GRBs and their afterglows. Theoretical and observational aspects are presented as well as tools for the analysis of the data.