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- Barthelmy, S D, et al.
(author)
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An origin for short gamma-ray bursts unassociated with current star formation
- 2005
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 438, s. 994-996
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Two short (< 2 s) gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have recently been localized(1-4) and fading afterglow counterparts detected(2-4). The combination of these two results left unclear the nature of the host galaxies of the bursts, because one was a star-forming dwarf, while the other was probably an elliptical galaxy. Here we report the X-ray localization of a short burst (GRB 050724) with unusual gamma-ray and X-ray properties. The X-ray afterglow lies off the centre of an elliptical galaxy at a redshift of z = 0.258 (ref. 5), coincident with the position determined by ground-based optical and radio observations(6-8). The low level of star formation typical for elliptical galaxies makes it unlikely that the burst originated in a supernova explosion. A supernova origin was also ruled out for GRB 050709 ( refs 3, 31), even though that burst took place in a galaxy with current star formation. The isotropic energy for the short bursts is 2 - 3 orders of magnitude lower than that for the long bursts. Our results therefore suggest that an alternative source of bursts - the coalescence of binary systems of neutron stars or a neutron star-black hole pair - are the progenitors of short bursts.
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2. |
- Soderberg, A. M., et al.
(author)
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Discovery of a Relativistic Supernova Without a Gamma-ray Trigger
- 2009
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Other publication (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- Type Ibc supernovae (SNe Ibc) mark the gravitational collapse of some massive stars (M > 20 Msun) propelling several solar masses of material to typical velocities of ~10,000 km/s. The closely-related but exceedingly rare class of long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) produce, in addition, a relativistic outflow powered by a central engine (accreting black hole or neutron star) and have been found exclusively through their gamma-ray signal. Here we report the discovery of luminous radio emission from the seemingly ordinary Type Ibc SN 2009bb which outshines that of all other SNe Ibc observed on a comparable timescale. These observations require a substantial mildly-relativistic outflow and indicate that the explosion was powered by a central engine, thus representing the first such event discovered without the aid of a gamma-ray trigger. A comparison with our extensive radio survey of SNe Ibc reveals that the fraction of such events is low (roughly 1 percent), measured independently from, and yet consistent with, the inferred rate of nearby GRBs. This discovery marks the observational realization that long-wavelength surveys will soon rival gamma-ray satellites in pinpointing nearby engine-driven explosions.
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