Published June 10, 2002 | Version Accepted Version + Published
Journal Article Open

Detection of a Supernova Signature Associated with GRB 011121

  • 1. ROR icon Division of Physics
  • 2. ROR icon Mount Stromlo Observatory
  • 3. ROR icon National Radio Astronomy Observatory
  • 4. ROR icon Carnegie Observatories
  • 5. ROR icon University of Virginia
  • 6. ROR icon The University of Texas at Austin
  • 7. ROR icon Columbia University
  • 8. ROR icon California Institute of Technology
  • 9. ROR icon Goddard Space Flight Center
  • 10. ROR icon New Mexico State University
  • 11. ROR icon University of California, Berkeley
  • 12. ROR icon University of Ferrara
  • 13. ROR icon National Research Council

Abstract

Using observations from an extensive monitoring campaign with the Hubble Space Telescope, we present the detection of an intermediate-time flux excess that is redder in color relative to the afterglow of GRB 011121, currently distinguished as the gamma-ray burst with the lowest known redshift. The red "bump," which exhibits a spectral rollover at ~7200 Å, is well described by a redshifted Type Ic supernova that occurred approximately at the same time as the gamma-ray burst event. The inferred luminosity is about half that of the bright supernova SN 1998bw. These results serve as compelling evidence for a massive star origin of long-duration gamma-ray bursts. Models that posit a supernova explosion weeks to months preceding the gamma-ray burst event are excluded by these observations. Finally, we discuss the relationship between spherical core-collapse supernovae and gamma-ray bursts.

Additional Information

© 2002 The American Astronomical Society. Received 2002 March 21; accepted 2002 May 2; published 2002 May 20. Based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555. We thank S. Woosley, who, as referee, provided helpful insights toward the improvement of this work. A. MacFadyen and E. Ramirez-Ruiz are acknowledged for their constructive comments on the Letter. J. S. B. is a Fannie and John Hertz Foundation Fellow. F. A. H. acknowledges support from a Presidential Early Career award. S. R. K. and S. G. D. thank the NSF for support. R. S. is grateful for support from a NASA ATP grant. R. S. and T. J. G. acknowledge support from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation. J. C. W. acknowledges support from NASA grant NAG59302. K. H. is grateful for Ulysses support under JPL contract 958056 and for IPN support under NASA grants FDNAG 5-11451 and NAG 5-17100. Support for Proposal HST-GO-09180.01-A was provided by NASA through a grant from the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555.

Attached Files

Published - Bloom_2002_ApJ_572_L45.pdf

Accepted Version - 0203391.pdf

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Additional details

Identifiers

Eprint ID
98291
Resolver ID
CaltechAUTHORS:20190828-101423701

Related works

Funding

NASA
NAS5-26555
Fannie and John Hertz Foundation
Caltech President's Fund
NSF
Sherman Fairchild Foundation
NASA
NAG59302
JPL
958056
NASA
FDNAG 5-11451
NASA
NAG 5-17100
NASA
HST-GO-09180.01-A

Dates

Created
2019-08-28
Created from EPrint's datestamp field
Updated
2021-11-16
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