1
|
Yang J, Ai S, Zhang BB, Zhang B, Liu ZK, Wang XI, Yang YH, Yin YH, Li Y, Lü HJ. A long-duration gamma-ray burst with a peculiar origin. Nature 2022; 612:232-235. [PMID: 36477130 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05403-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
It is generally believed that long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are associated with massive star core collapse1, whereas short-duration GRBs are associated with mergers of compact star binaries2. However, growing observations3-6 have suggested that oddball GRBs do exist, and several criteria (prompt emission properties, supernova/kilonova associations and host galaxy properties) rather than burst duration only are needed to classify GRBs physically7. A previously reported long-duration burst, GRB 060614 (ref. 3), could be viewed as a short GRB with extended emission if it were observed at a larger distance8 and was associated with a kilonova-like feature9. As a result, it belongs to the type I (compact star merger) GRB category and is probably of binary neutron star (NS) merger origin. Here we report a peculiar long-duration burst, GRB 211211A, whose prompt emission properties in many aspects differ from all known type I GRBs, yet its multiband observations suggest a non-massive-star origin. In particular, substantial excess emission in both optical and near-infrared wavelengths has been discovered (see also ref. 10), which resembles kilonova emission, as observed in some type I GRBs. These observations point towards a new progenitor type of GRBs. A scenario invoking a white dwarf (WD)-NS merger with a post-merger magnetar engine provides a self-consistent interpretation for all the observations, including prompt gamma rays, early X-ray afterglow, as well as the engine-fed11,12 kilonova emission.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jun Yang
- School of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.,Key Laboratory of Modern Astronomy and Astrophysics (Nanjing University), Ministry of Education, Nanjing, China
| | - Shunke Ai
- Nevada Center for Astrophysics, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Bin-Bin Zhang
- School of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China. .,Key Laboratory of Modern Astronomy and Astrophysics (Nanjing University), Ministry of Education, Nanjing, China.
| | - Bing Zhang
- Nevada Center for Astrophysics, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA. .,Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
| | - Zi-Ke Liu
- School of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.,Key Laboratory of Modern Astronomy and Astrophysics (Nanjing University), Ministry of Education, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiangyu Ivy Wang
- School of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.,Key Laboratory of Modern Astronomy and Astrophysics (Nanjing University), Ministry of Education, Nanjing, China
| | - Yu-Han Yang
- School of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.,Key Laboratory of Modern Astronomy and Astrophysics (Nanjing University), Ministry of Education, Nanjing, China
| | - Yi-Han Yin
- School of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ye Li
- Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Hou-Jun Lü
- Guangxi Key Laboratory for Relativistic Astrophysics, School of Physical Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| |
Collapse
|