Pulse astronomy: short time scale phenomena in electromagnetic and gravitational wave astronomy.

The development of pulse astronomy - the study of astrophysical phenomena that occur on a timescale of seconds or less - is discussed. It is noted that the possibility of rapid phenomena in astronomy was first raised in connection with the very late stages of stellar evolution. Supernovae are cited as an example of such phenomena, and Weber's (1960, 1968) experiments to search for pulses of gravitational radiation are reviewed together with searches for pulsed electromagnetic radiation and pulsed neutrino emission. Attention is also given to pulsar periods, Uhuru observations of rapid fluctuations in X-ray sources, and the detection of gamma-ray bursts.