A summary is given of research on transient (duration $\approx$10$^{-1}$--10$^{-2}$ sec) bursts of cosmic $\gamma$ rays monitored with spacecraft carrying special-purpose detectors. Very likely the burst sources are old (>10$^6$ yr) magnetized neutron stars located fairly close to the solar system (D$\approx$10--100 pc). A most interesting physical problem thereby awaits investigation: the nonstable behavior of ultradense matter in strong magnetic fields (B$\approx$10$^{12}$--10$^{13}$ gauss). Several nonstable processes that might generate the observed bursts are discussed.

TY JOUR
TI Cosmic gamma-ray bursts
AU Rozental’, I. L.
AU Usov, V. V.
AU Éstulin, I. V.
PB Physics-Uspekhi
PY 1983
JO Physics-Uspekhi
JF Physics-Uspekhi
JA Phys. Usp.
VL 26
IS 5
SP 437-446
UR https://ufn.ru/en/articles/1983/5/c/
ER https://doi.org/10.1070/PU1983v026n05ABEH004401