Gamma-Ray Burst Science in the Era of the Cherenkov Telescope Array
  We outline the science prospects for gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with the
Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), the next-generation ground-based gamma-ray
observatory operating at energies above few tens of GeV. With its low energy
threshold, large effective area and rapid slewing capabilities, CTA will be
able to measure the spectra and variability of GRBs at multi-GeV energies with
unprecedented photon statistics, and thereby break new ground in elucidating
the physics of GRBs, which is still poorly understood. Such measurements will
also provide crucial diagnostics of ultra-high-energy cosmic ray and neutrino
production in GRBs, advance observational cosmology by probing the
high-redshift extragalactic background light and intergalactic magnetic fields,
and contribute to fundamental physics by testing Lorentz invariance violation
with high precision. Aiming to quantify these goals, we present some simulated
observations of GRB spectra and light curves, together with estimates of their
detection rates with CTA. Although the expected detection rate is modest, of
order a few GRBs per year, hundreds or more high-energy photons per burst may
be attainable once they are detected. We also address various issues related to
following up alerts from satellites and other facilities with CTA, as well as
follow-up observations at other wavelengths. The possibility of discovering and
observing GRBs from their onset including short GRBs during a wide-field survey
mode is also briefly discussed.
