Author
José María Castro Cerón
Bio: José María Castro Cerón is an academic researcher from Space Telescope Science Institute. The author has contributed to research in topics: Gamma-ray burst & Supernova. The author has an hindex of 6, co-authored 7 publications receiving 2350 citations.
Topics: Gamma-ray burst, Supernova, GRB 980425, Star formation, Afterglow
Papers
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors reported evidence for a very energetic supernova (a hypernova), temporally and spatially coincident with a gamma-ray burst at redshift z=0.1685.
Abstract: Over the past five years evidence has mounted that long-duration (greater than 2s) gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), the most brilliant of all astronomical explosions, signal the collapse of massive stars in our Universe. This evidence, originally based on the probable association of one unusual GRB with a supernova, now includes the association of GRBs with regions of massive star-formation in distant galaxies, tantalizing evidence of supernova-like light-curve 'bumps' in the optical afterglows of several bursts, and lines of freshly synthesized elements in the spectra of a few X-ray afterglows. These observations support, but do not yet conclusively validate, models based upon the deaths of massive stars, presumably associated with core collapse. Here we report evidence for a very energetic supernova (a hypernova), temporally and spatially coincident with a GRB at redshift z=0.1685. The timing of the supernova indicates that it exploded within a few days of the GRB, strongly suggesting that core-collapse events can give rise to GRBs. Amongst the GRB central engine models proposed to-date, the properties of this supernova thus favour the collapsar model.
1,415 citations
Stockholm University1, University of California, Berkeley2, University of Hertfordshire3, University of Copenhagen4, Space Telescope Science Institute5, Liverpool John Moores University6, University of Hawaii7, Heidelberg University8, University College Dublin9, Spanish National Research Council10, University of St Andrews11, Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris12, University of California, Santa Cruz13, Institute for Advanced Study14, European Southern Observatory15, University of Chile16, University of Amsterdam17
TL;DR: Zhang et al. as discussed by the authors reported that GRB 060614 was not accompanied by supernova emission down to limits hundreds of times fainter than the archetypal supernova SN 1998bw that accompanied GRB 980425, and faintter than any type Ic supernova ever observed.
Abstract: The tidy classification system that divided γ-ray bursts (GRBs) into long-duration busts (lasting more than two seconds) and short may have had its day. The final nail in its coffin may be GRB 060614. Discovered on 14 June 2006 by the Burst Alert Telescope on-board the Swift satellite, this burst was long, at 102 seconds, but as reported in a clutch of papers in this issue, it has a number of properties, including the absence of an accompanying supernova, that were previously considered diagnostic of a 'short' GRB. The hunt is now on for a classification system to take account of the diversity now apparent in GRBs. In the accompanying News & Views, Bing Zhang suggests that the answer may be to adopt a Type I/Type II classification similar to that used for supernovae. GRB 060505 and GRB 060614 were not accompanied by supernova emission down to limits hundreds of times fainter than the archetypal SN 1998bw that accompanied GRB 980425, and fainter than any type Ic supernova ever observed. It is now accepted that long-duration γ-ray bursts (GRBs) are produced during the collapse of a massive star1,2. The standard ‘collapsar’ model3 predicts that a broad-lined and luminous type Ic core-collapse supernova accompanies every long-duration GRB4. This association has been confirmed in observations of several nearby GRBs5–9. Here we report that GRB 060505 (ref. 10) and GRB 060614 (ref. 11) were not accompanied by supernova emission down to limits hundreds of times fainter than the archetypal supernova SN 1998bw that accompanied GRB 980425, and fainter than any type Ic supernova ever observed12. Multi-band observations of the early afterglows, as well as spectroscopy of the host galaxies, exclude the possibility of significant dust obscuration and show that the bursts originated in actively star-forming regions. The absence of a supernova to such deep limits is qualitatively different from all previous nearby long-duration GRBs and suggests a new phenomenological type of massive stellar death.
467 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present observations of two nearby long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) that challenge this simple view, and demonstrate that no SN emission accompanied these longduration bursts, down to limits hundreds of times fainter than the archetypal SN 1998bw that accompanied GRB 980425, and faintter than any Type Ic SN ever observed.
Abstract: It is now accepted that long duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are produced during the collapse of a massive star. The standard "collapsar" model predicts that a broad-lined and luminous Type Ic core-collapse supernova (SN) accompanies every long-duration GRB. This association has been confirmed in observations of several nearby GRBs. Here we present observations of two nearby long-duration GRBs that challenge this simple view. In the GRBs 060505 and 060614 we demonstrate that no SN emission accompanied these long-duration bursts, down to limits hundreds of times fainter than the archetypal SN 1998bw that accompanied GRB 980425, and fainter than any Type Ic SN ever observed. Multi-band observations of the early afterglows, as well as spectroscopy of the host galaxies, exclude the possibility of significant dust obscuration and show that the bursts originated in star-forming regions. The absence of a SN to such deep limits is qualitatively different from all previous nearby long GRBs and suggests a new phenomenological type of massive stellar death.
381 citations
Space Telescope Science Institute1, University of Leicester2, University of Hertfordshire3, Spanish National Research Council4, University of Amsterdam5, Marshall Space Flight Center6, Brown University7, European Southern Observatory8, Aarhus University9, University of Notre Dame10, University of Copenhagen11, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory12, University of Liège13, University of California, Santa Cruz14
TL;DR: In this paper, near-infrared (a) and optical observations of the afterglow of GRB 030115 were presented, which is the faintest ever observed in the R-band at such an early epoch, with R-K approximately equal to 6.5.
Abstract: We present near-infrared (a) and optical observations of the afterglow of GRB 030115. Discovered in an infrared search at Kitt Peak 5 hours after the burst trigger, this afterglow is the faintest ever observed in the R-band at such an early epoch, and exhibits very red colors, with R-K approximately equal to 6. The magnitude of the optical afterglow of GRB 030115 is fainter than many upper limits for other bursts, suggesting that without early nIR observations it would have been classified as a "dark" burst. Both the color and optical magnitude of the afterglow are likely due to dust extinction and indicate that at least some optical afterglows are observations were also taken of the host galaxy and the surrounding field. Photometric redshifts imply that the host, and a substantial number of faint galaxies in the field are at z approximately 2.5. The overdensity of galaxies is sufficiently great that GRB 030115 may have occurred in a rich high-redshift cluster. The host galaxy shows extremely red colors (R-K=5) and is the first GRB host to be classified as an Extreme Red Object (ERO). Some of the galaxies surrounding the host also show very red colors, while the majority of the cluster are much bluer, indicating ongoing unobscured star formation. As it is thought that much of high redshift star formation occurs in highly obscured environments it may well be that GRB 030115 represents a transition object, between the relatively unobscured afterglows seen to date and a population which are very heavily extinguished, even in the nIR.
66 citations
University of Leicester1, Space Telescope Science Institute2, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory3, University of Oklahoma4, Spanish National Research Council5, University of California, Santa Cruz6, Marshall Space Flight Center7, Aarhus University8, University of Notre Dame9, Universities Space Research Association10, Goddard Space Flight Center11, University of Copenhagen12, European Southern Observatory13, University of Hertfordshire14, University of Amsterdam15
TL;DR: Both the flux and color of the excess with supernova models are compared and it is shown that the data are best explained by the presence of a Type I b/c supernova at a redshift z approx.
Abstract: We present the discovery and monitoring of the optical transient (OT) associated with GRB 020410. The fading OT was found by Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations taken 28 and 65 days after burst at a position consistent with the X-ray afterglow. Subsequent re-examination of early ground based observations revealed that a faint OT was present 6 hours after burst, confirming the source association with GRB 020410. A deep non-detection after one week requires that the OT re-brightened between day 7 and day 28, and further late time HST data taken approximately 100 days after burst imply that it is very red (F{sub nu} proportional to nu-2.7). We compare both the flux and color of the excess with supernova models and show that the data are best explained by the presence of a Type I b/c supernova at a redshift z approx. equal 0.5, which occurred roughly coincident with the day of GRB.
65 citations
Cited by
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Goddard Space Flight Center1, Brera Astronomical Observatory2, University of Milan3, University College London4, Pennsylvania State University5, University of Leicester6, Sonoma State University7, University of California, Berkeley8, Universities Space Research Association9, National Research Council10, University of Southampton11, Los Alamos National Laboratory12, National Radio Astronomy Observatory13, Space Telescope Science Institute14, Max Planck Society15, California Institute of Technology16, University of Texas at Austin17, French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission18, University of Toronto19, University of Maryland, College Park20, Princeton University21, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory22, University of Cambridge23, University of California, Santa Barbara24, Rice University25, University of Tokyo26, Saitama University27, University of Florence28
TL;DR: The Swift mission as discussed by the authors is a multi-wavelength observatory for gamma-ray burst (GRB) astronomy, which is a first-of-its-kind autonomous rapid-slewing satellite for transient astronomy and pioneers the way for future rapid-reaction and multiwavelength missions.
Abstract: The Swift mission, scheduled for launch in 2004, is a multiwavelength observatory for gamma-ray burst (GRB) astronomy. It is a first-of-its-kind autonomous rapid-slewing satellite for transient astronomy and pioneers the way for future rapid-reaction and multiwavelength missions. It will be far more powerful than any previous GRB mission, observing more than 100 bursts yr � 1 and performing detailed X-ray and UV/optical afterglow observations spanning timescales from 1 minute to several days after the burst. The objectives are to (1) determine the origin of GRBs, (2) classify GRBs and search for new types, (3) study the interaction of the ultrarelativistic outflows of GRBs with their surrounding medium, and (4) use GRBs to study the early universe out to z >10. The mission is being developed by a NASA-led international collaboration. It will carry three instruments: a newgeneration wide-field gamma-ray (15‐150 keV) detector that will detect bursts, calculate 1 0 ‐4 0 positions, and trigger autonomous spacecraft slews; a narrow-field X-ray telescope that will give 5 00 positions and perform spectroscopy in the 0.2‐10 keV band; and a narrow-field UV/optical telescope that will operate in the 170‐ 600 nm band and provide 0B3 positions and optical finding charts. Redshift determinations will be made for most bursts. In addition to the primary GRB science, the mission will perform a hard X-ray survey to a sensitivity of � 1m crab (� 2;10 � 11 ergs cm � 2 s � 1 in the 15‐150 keV band), more than an order of magnitude better than HEAO 1 A-4. A flexible data and operations system will allow rapid follow-up observations of all types of
3,753 citations
TL;DR: A review of the current theoretical understanding of the physical processes believed to take place in GRB's can be found in this article, where the authors focus on the afterglow itself, the jet break in the light curve, and the optical flash that accompanies the GRB.
Abstract: Gamma-ray bursts (GRB's), short and intense pulses of low-energy $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays, have fascinated astronomers and astrophysicists since their unexpected discovery in the late sixties. During the last decade, several space missions---BATSE (Burst and Transient Source Experiment) on the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory, BeppoSAX and now HETE II (High-Energy Transient Explorer)---together with ground-based optical, infrared, and radio observatories have revolutionized our understanding of GRB's, showing that they are cosmological, that they are accompanied by long-lasting afterglows, and that they are associated with core-collapse supernovae. At the same time a theoretical understanding has emerged in the form of the fireball internal-external shocks model. According to this model GRB's are produced when the kinetic energy of an ultrarelativistic flow is dissipated in internal collisions. The afterglow arises when the flow is slowed down by shocks with the surrounding circumburst matter. This model has had numerous successful predictions, like the predictions of the afterglow itself, of jet breaks in the afterglow light curve, and of the optical flash that accompanies the GRB's. This review focuses on the current theoretical understanding of the physical processes believed to take place in GRB's.
1,800 citations
TL;DR: In this article, it was shown that most long-duration soft-spectrum gamma-ray bursts are accompanied by massive stellar explosions (GRB-SNe) and that most of the energy in the explosion is contained in nonrelativistic ejecta (producing the supernova) rather than in the relativistic jets responsible for making the burst and its afterglow.
Abstract: Observations show that at least some gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) happen simultaneously with core-collapse supernovae (SNe), thus linking by a common thread nature's two grandest explosions. We review here the growing evidence for and theoretical implications of this association, and conclude that most long-duration soft-spectrum GRBs are accompanied by massive stellar explosions (GRB-SNe). The kinetic energy and luminosity of well-studied GRB-SNe appear to be greater than those of ordinary SNe, but evidence exists, even in a limited sample, for considerable diversity. The existing sample also suggests that most of the energy in the explosion is contained in nonrelativistic ejecta (producing the supernova) rather than in the relativistic jets responsible for making the burst and its afterglow. Neither all SNe, nor even all SNe of Type Ibc produce GRBs. The degree of differential rotation in the collapsing iron core of massive stars when they die may be what makes the difference.
1,389 citations
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TL;DR: In this article, the interplay between these observations and theoretical models of the prompt gamma-ray burst and its afterglow is reviewed, and a model of the burst's origin and mechanism is proposed.
Abstract: Gamma-ray bursts are the most luminous explosions in the Universe, and their origin and mechanism are the focus of intense research and debate. More than three decades after their discovery, and after pioneering breakthroughs from space and ground experiments, their study is entering a new phase with the recently launched Swift satellite. The interplay between these observations and theoretical models of the prompt gamma-ray burst and its afterglow is reviewed.
1,294 citations