Gamma Ray Bursts and the Collapsar Model: a comment on astro-ph/0203391 and astro-ph/0203467

In an essay published in 1997, M. J. Harris pointed out that the development of a theoretical explanation, or "synthesis," of a group of astronomical results can lead to a situation where subsequent observations are forced to fit within that framework. Moreover, new results may be reported that fit within the framework but which can no longer be reproduced following the advent of more sensitive observations that overturn the synthesis. Although Harris considered gamma-ray line transients, a similar situation regarding the collapsar model for gamma-ray bursts now holds. In two recent papers posted on astro-ph by J. S. Bloom et al., and by P. A. Price et al., the synthesis effect is illustrated with respect to the collapsar model. These authors dismiss observations that contradict the collapsar model, appeal to "simplicity" to justify their preferred model, and dismiss (or better yet, ignore) competing models with unscientific reasoning. Whether or not the collapsar model is correct, these papers serve as textbook examples of the synthesis effect in science.