A possible macronova in the late afterglow of the long–short burst GRB 060614

Bin Yang, Zhi-Ping Jin (), Xiang Li, Stefano Covino, Xian-Zhong Zheng, Kenta Hotokezaka, Yi-Zhong Fan (), Tsvi Piran () and Da-Ming Wei
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Bin Yang: Key Laboratory of Dark Matter and Space Astronomy, Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zhi-Ping Jin: Key Laboratory of Dark Matter and Space Astronomy, Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xiang Li: Key Laboratory of Dark Matter and Space Astronomy, Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Stefano Covino: INAF/Brera Astronomical Observatory
Xian-Zhong Zheng: Key Laboratory of Dark Matter and Space Astronomy, Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Kenta Hotokezaka: Racah Institute of Physics, The Hebrew University
Yi-Zhong Fan: Key Laboratory of Dark Matter and Space Astronomy, Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Tsvi Piran: Racah Institute of Physics, The Hebrew University
Da-Ming Wei: Key Laboratory of Dark Matter and Space Astronomy, Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature Communications, 2015, vol. 6, issue 1, 1-5

Abstract: Abstract Long-duration (>2 s) γ-ray bursts that are believed to originate from the death of massive stars are expected to be accompanied by supernovae. GRB 060614, that lasted 102 s, lacks a supernova-like emission down to very stringent limits and its physical origin is still debated. Here we report the discovery of near-infrared bump that is significantly above the regular decaying afterglow. This red bump is inconsistent with even the weakest known supernova. However, it can arise from a Li-Paczyński macronova—the radioactive decay of debris following a compact binary merger. If this interpretation is correct, GRB 060614 arose from a compact binary merger rather than from the death of a massive star and it was a site of a significant production of heavy r-process elements. The significant ejected mass favours a black hole–neutron star merger but a double neutron star merger cannot be ruled out.

Date: 2015
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8323

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