A kilonova following a long-duration gamma-ray burst at 350 Mpc

December 2022 • 2022Natur.612..223R

Authors • Rastinejad, Jillian C. • Gompertz, Benjamin P. • Levan, Andrew J. • Fong, Wen-fai • Nicholl, Matt • Lamb, Gavin P. • Malesani, Daniele B. • Nugent, Anya E. • Oates, Samantha R. • Tanvir, Nial R. • de Ugarte Postigo, Antonio • Kilpatrick, Charles D. • Moore, Christopher J. • Metzger, Brian D. • Ravasio, Maria Edvige • Rossi, Andrea • Schroeder, Genevieve • Jencson, Jacob • Sand, David J. • Smith, Nathan • Agüí Fernández, José Feliciano • Berger, Edo • Blanchard, Peter K. • Chornock, Ryan • Cobb, Bethany E. • De Pasquale, Massimiliano • Fynbo, Johan P. U. • Izzo, Luca • Kann, D. Alexander • Laskar, Tanmoy • Marini, Ester • Paterson, Kerry • Escorial, Alicia Rouco • Sears, Huei M. • Thöne, Christina C.

Abstract • Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are divided into two populations^1,2; long GRBs that derive from the core collapse of massive stars (for example, ref. ³) and short GRBs that form in the merger of two compact objects^4,5. Although it is common to divide the two populations at a gamma-ray duration of 2 s, classification based on duration does not always map to the progenitor. Notably, GRBs with short (≲2 s) spikes of prompt gamma-ray emission followed by prolonged, spectrally softer extended emission (EE-SGRBs) have been suggested to arise from compact object mergers^6-8. Compact object mergers are of great astrophysical importance as the only confirmed site of rapid neutron capture (r-process) nucleosynthesis, observed in the form of so-called kilonovae^9-14. Here we report the discovery of a possible kilonova associated with the nearby (350 Mpc), minute-duration GRB 211211A. The kilonova implies that the progenitor is a compact object merger, suggesting that GRBs with long, complex light curves can be spawned from merger events. The kilonova of GRB 211211A has a similar luminosity, duration and colour to that which accompanied the gravitational wave (GW)-detected binary neutron star (BNS) merger GW170817 (ref. ⁴). Further searches for GW signals coincident with long GRBs are a promising route for future multi-messenger astronomy.

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• SIMBAD http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbo.pl?bibcode=2022Natur.612..223R
• PREPRINT http://arxiv.org/abs/2204.10864
• NED https://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/uri/NED::InRefcode/2022Natur.612..223R
• DATA https://archive.gemini.edu/searchform/publication=2022Natur.612..223R
• DATA https://archive.stsci.edu/mastbibref.php?bibcode=2022Natur.612..223R
• DATA https://hst.esac.esa.int/ehst/#/pages/search;bibcode=2022Natur.612..223R
• DATA https://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu/bibdata/2022/R/2022Natur.612..223R.html
• ELECTR https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fs41586-022-05390-w