A Neutron Star-driven XRF associated with SN 2006aj

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  • 21 March 2006
Abstract
Observations and models of SN 2006aj, while bringing fresh evidence of the connection between long Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) and Supernovae (SNe), suggest that there is variety among these events. The previously well observed cases (GRB980425/SN 1998bw, GRB030329/SN 2003dh, GRB031203/SN 2003lw) could be explained as the prompt collapse to a black hole of the core of a massive star (M ~ 40 Msun) that had lost its outer hydrogen and helium envelopes. All these SNe exhibited strong oxygen lines, thus being classified as Type Ic, and their energies were much larger than those of typical SNe. The case of SN 2006aj/GRB060218 appears different: the GRB was weak and soft (an X-Ray Flash, XRF); the SN is dimmer and has very weak oxygen lines, suggesting a "Type Ic/d" classification. The explosion energy of SN 2006aj was smaller, as was the ejected mass. In our model, the progenitor star had a smaller mass than other GRB/SNe (M ~ 20 Msun), suggesting that a neutron star rather than a black hole was formed. If the nascent neutron star was strongly magnetized (a so-called magnetar) and rapidly spinning, it may launch a weak GRB or an XRF. At a later phase of its life, the neutron star may give rise to short GRBs.

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