Gamma-ray bursts are the most luminous explosions in the Universe, whose
origin and mechanism is the focus of intense interest. They appear connected to
supernova remnants from massive stars or the merger of their remnants, and
their brightness makes them temporarily detectable out to the larges distances
yet explored in the Universe. After pioneering breakthroughs from space and
ground experiments, their study is entering a new phase with observations from
the recently launched \fermi satellite, as well as the prospect of detections
or limits from large neutrino and gravitational wave detectors. The interplay
between such observations and theoretical models of gamma-ray bursts is
reviewed, as well as their connections to supernovae and cosmology.Comment: 36 pages, 7 figures; prepared for the XXVIIIth General Assembly Int.
Ast. Union, Beijing, Aug. 201
