Publications by authors named "P M Vreeswijk"
Article Synopsis
- Wolf-Rayet stars (WRSs), particularly hydrogen-deficient ones, are believed to be the origins of certain types of supernovae, such as IIb, Ib, and Ic.
- A newly identified blue object linked to a type Ib supernova might be a WRS progenitor, but its status remains unconfirmed since similar searches have often not yielded results.
- The discovery of strong emission lines in a spectrum from a type IIb supernova suggests the progenitor had WRS-like characteristics, indicating significant mass loss prior to the explosion, aligning with recent theoretical insights.
It is now accepted that long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are produced during the collapse of a massive star. The standard 'collapsar' model predicts that a broad-lined and luminous type Ic core-collapse supernova accompanies every long-duration GRB. This association has been confirmed in observations of several nearby GRBs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLong-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are associated with type Ic supernovae that are more luminous than average and that eject material at very high velocities. Less-luminous supernovae were not hitherto known to be associated with GRBs, and therefore GRB-supernovae were thought to be rare events. Whether X-ray flashes--analogues of GRBs, but with lower luminosities and fewer gamma-rays--can also be associated with supernovae, and whether they are intrinsically 'weak' events or typical GRBs viewed off the axis of the burst, is unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWhen massive stars exhaust their fuel, they collapse and often produce the extraordinarily bright explosions known as core-collapse supernovae. On occasion, this stellar collapse also powers an even more brilliant relativistic explosion known as a long-duration gamma-ray burst. One would then expect that these long gamma-ray bursts and core-collapse supernovae should be found in similar galactic environments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- - Over the last five years, evidence has increased that long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), the brightest astronomical explosions, are linked to the collapse of massive stars.
- - Initial hints included a connection with a supernova and were later supported by GRBs found in massive star formation areas and spectral evidence of newly formed elements.
- - New findings show a hypernova occurring just days before a GRB, reinforcing the theory that core-collapse events can lead to these GRBs, aligning with the 'collapsar' model.