A neutron-star-driven X-ray flash associated with supernova SN 2006aj

A link between long γ-ray bursts (GRBs) and supernovae has been established, but whether there is a similar relationship between the weaker and softer X-ray flashes and supernovae is unclear. GRB/XRF 060218, spotted by the Swift satellite on 18 February this year, may supply that missing link. In the first of four papers on this novel burster, Campana et al. report the sighting of the X-ray signature of a shock break-out, possible evidence of a supernova in progress. Pian et al. report the optical discovery of a type Ic supernova 2006aj associated with GRB/XRF 060218. Soderberg et al. report radio and X-ray observations that show that XRF 060218 is 100 times less energetic than, but of a type that is ten times more common than cosmological GRBs. Mazzali et al. modelled the spectra and light curve of SN 2006aj to show that it had a much smaller explosion energy and ejected much less mass than other GRB-supernovae, suggesting that it was produced by a star with a mass was only about 20 times that of the Sun, leaving behind a neutron star, rather than a black hole.