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An enigmatic long-lasting γ-ray burst not accompanied by a bright supernova

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Abstract

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are short, intense flashes of soft γ-rays coming from the distant Universe. Long-duration GRBs (those lasting more than ∼2 s) are believed to originate from the deaths of massive stars1, mainly on the basis of a handful of solid associations between GRBs and supernovae2,3,4,5,6,7. GRB 060614, one of the closest GRBs discovered, consisted of a 5-s hard spike followed by softer, brighter emission that lasted for ∼100 s (refs 8, 9). Here we report deep optical observations of GRB 060614 showing no emerging supernova with absolute visual magnitude brighter than MV = -13.7. Any supernova associated with GRB 060614 was therefore at least 100 times fainter, at optical wavelengths, than the other supernovae associated with GRBs10. This demonstrates that some long-lasting GRBs can either be associated with a very faint supernova or produced by different phenomena.

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Figure 1: Spectrum of the host galaxy of GRB 060614.
Figure 2: R-band light curve of the GRB 060614 afterglow.

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Acknowledgements

This work is based on data collected at the Very Large Telescope operated by the European Southern Observatory. We acknowledge support from the observing staff. This research is supported in Italy by ASI, MIUR-PRIN and INAF-PRIN grants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. INAF, Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Firenze, I-50125, largo E. Fermi 5, Italy

    M. Della Valle

  2. Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, piazza delle Scienze 3, Milano, I-20126, Italy

    G. Chincarini & D. Fugazza

  3. INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, via E. Bianchi 46, Merate (Lc), I-23807, Italy

    G. Chincarini, G. Tagliaferri, D. Fugazza, S. Campana, S. Covino & P. D’Avanzo

  4. Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, 3700 San Martin Drive, Maryland, 21218, USA

    N. Panagia

  5. Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Roma, viale del Parco Mellini 84, I-00136, Italy

    N. Panagia

  6. Supernova Ltd, Olde Yard Village #131, Northsound Road, Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands

    N. Panagia

  7. International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA/ISAS), via Beirut 2–4, Trieste, I-34014, Italy

    D. Malesani

  8. INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, via di Frascati 33, I-00040, Monteporzio Catone (Roma), Italy

    V. Testa, L. A. Antonelli, S. Piranomonte & L. Stella

  9. INAF, Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica di Palermo, via U. La Malfa 153, Palermo, I-90146, Italy

    V. Mangano

  10. ASI Science Data Center, via G. Galilei, Frascati, I-00044, Italy

    L. A. Antonelli

  11. Dipartimento di Fisica e Matematica, Università dell’Insubria, via Valleggio 11, Como, I-22100, Italy

    P. D’Avanzo

  12. University of California, Berkeley, Space Sciences Laboratory, Berkeley, California, 94720-7450, USA

    K. Hurley

  13. European Southern Observatory, Alonso de Córdova 3107, Santiago, 19, Vitacura, Casilla, 19001, Chile

    I. F. Mirabel

  14. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio (CONICET/UBA), Casilla de Correos 67 Suc. 28, Buenos Aires, (1428), Argentina

    L. J. Pellizza

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  1. M. Della Valle
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  2. G. Chincarini
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  3. N. Panagia
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Correspondence to M. Della Valle.

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Supplementary Information

This file contains Supplementary Figure with legend which shows estimate of the reddening correction and Supplementary Table which shows log of the observations.

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Valle, M., Chincarini, G., Panagia, N. et al. An enigmatic long-lasting γ-ray burst not accompanied by a bright supernova. Nature 444, 1050–1052 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05374

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