  Although more than 2000 astronomical gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have been
detected, the precise progenitor responsible for these events is unknown. The
temporal phenomenology observed in GRBs can significantly constrain the
different models. Here we analyse the time histories of a sample of bright,
long GRBs, searching for the ones exhibiting relatively long (more than 5 per
cent of the total burst duration) quiescent times, defined as the intervals
between adjacent episodes of emission during which the gamma-rays count rate
drops to the background level. We find a quantitative relation between the
duration of an emission episode and the quiescent time elapsed since the
previous episode. We suggest here that the mechanism responsible for the
extraction and the dissipation of energy has to take place in a meta-stable
configuration, such that the longer the accumulation period, the higher is the
stored energy available for the next emission episode.
