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

Jillian C. Rastinejad (), Benjamin P. Gompertz, Andrew J. Levan, Wen-fai Fong, Matt Nicholl, Gavin P. Lamb, Daniele B. Malesani, Anya E. Nugent, Samantha R. Oates, Nial R. Tanvir, Antonio Ugarte Postigo, Charles D. Kilpatrick, Christopher J. Moore, Brian D. Metzger, Maria Edvige Ravasio, Andrea Rossi, Genevieve Schroeder, Jacob Jencson, David J. Sand, Nathan Smith, José Feliciano Agüí Fernández, Edo Berger, Peter K. Blanchard, Ryan Chornock, Bethany E. Cobb, Massimiliano Pasquale, Johan P. U. Fynbo, Luca Izzo, D. Alexander Kann, Tanmoy Laskar, Ester Marini, Kerry Paterson, Alicia Rouco Escorial, Huei M. Sears and Christina C. Thöne
Additional contact information
Jillian C. Rastinejad: Northwestern University
Benjamin P. Gompertz: University of Birmingham
Andrew J. Levan: Radboud University
Wen-fai Fong: Northwestern University
Matt Nicholl: University of Birmingham
Gavin P. Lamb: University of Leicester
Daniele B. Malesani: Radboud University
Anya E. Nugent: Northwestern University
Samantha R. Oates: University of Birmingham
Nial R. Tanvir: University of Leicester
Antonio Ugarte Postigo: CNRS
Charles D. Kilpatrick: Northwestern University
Christopher J. Moore: University of Birmingham
Brian D. Metzger: Flatiron Institute
Maria Edvige Ravasio: Radboud University
Andrea Rossi: Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio
Genevieve Schroeder: Northwestern University
Jacob Jencson: University of Arizona
David J. Sand: University of Arizona
Nathan Smith: University of Arizona
José Feliciano Agüí Fernández: Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC)
Edo Berger: Harvard & Smithsonian
Peter K. Blanchard: Northwestern University
Ryan Chornock: University of California, Berkeley
Bethany E. Cobb: The George Washington University
Massimiliano Pasquale: Polo Papardo, University of Messina
Johan P. U. Fynbo: Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN)
Luca Izzo: University of Copenhagen
D. Alexander Kann: Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC)
Tanmoy Laskar: Radboud University
Ester Marini: Observatory of Rome
Kerry Paterson: Northwestern University
Alicia Rouco Escorial: Northwestern University
Huei M. Sears: Northwestern University
Christina C. Thöne: Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences (ASU-CAS)

Nature, 2022, vol. 612, issue 7939, 223-227

Abstract: Abstract Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are divided into two populations1,2; 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 objects4,5. 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 mergers6–8. 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 kilonovae9–14. 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.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05390-w

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