Environmental Effects of Gamma Ray Bursts

Gamma rays bursts, coming from very massive stars, are the most powerful explosions in our Universe. Some authors have linked them to some of the climatic changes and consequent biological mass extinctions of the Phanerozoic eon. However, the consequences of their direct impact on primitive Earth, is today a hot topic of debate. On the other hand, it is usually assumed that they were more common in earlier stages of our galaxy. So it is important to evaluate its potential effects on terrestrial paleoenvironments. We outline some simple models to estimate their influence mainly on the primordial atmospheric chemistry of Earth and on the climate in general. To do that, we consider different scenarios where the atmospheric composition diverges substantially from the atmosphere today, and compute the evolution of principal chemical species under the intense radiational stress of a gamma ray burst. Furthermore, the possible impact on the isotopic composition, geochemistry and the biosphere are mentioned in general way