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Kilonova-like bursts may also fit a collapsar model

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Research area:physics-astronomyastrophysics-stellar

What the study found

The authors report that the kilonova-like emission seen after GRB 211211A and GRB 230307A is not limited to a neutron star merger explanation. They say these observations are also consistent with nucleosynthesis, the creation of new atomic nuclei, in a collapsar scenario.

Why the authors say this matters

The authors conclude that their findings challenge the idea that a red evolution in these transients necessarily means heavy r-process elements, meaning elements made by rapid neutron capture. They suggest the data can be explained without requiring lanthanide-rich material, a class of heavy elements often linked to red emission.

What the researchers tested

The researchers compared the observations of GRB 211211A and GRB 230307A with a collapsar-based model. They tested whether a single, weak r-process component could reproduce the observed optical and infrared light curves, which are the changes in brightness measured in visible and infrared light.

What worked and what didn't

The model was able to reproduce the observed optical and infrared light curves using a single, weak r-process component. The abstract says the model is consistent with the data and does not require lanthanide-rich material.

What to keep in mind

The summary available here is limited to the abstract, so only the authors' stated comparison and conclusions can be reported. The abstract does not describe additional limitations, tests, or alternative analyses beyond the collapsar interpretation.

Key points

  • The authors say kilonova-like emission after two long-duration gamma-ray bursts can fit a collapsar scenario.
  • They report that a single, weak r-process component reproduced the observed optical and infrared light curves.
  • The model did not require lanthanide-rich material, according to the abstract.
  • The findings challenge the idea that red evolution in these transients necessarily signals heavy r-process elements.

Disclosure

Research title:
Kilonova-like bursts may also fit a collapsar model
Authors:
Marko Ristić, Brandon L. Barker, Samuel Cupp, Axel Gross, Nicole Lloyd-Ronning, Oleg Korobkin, Jonah Miller, Matthew R. Mumpower
Institutions:
FWRadiology, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, University of Notre Dame
Publication date:
2026-04-27
DOI:
10.3847/2041-8213/ae5e53
OpenAlex record:
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AI provenance: This post was generated by gpt-5.4-mini (OpenAI). The original authors did not write or review this post.

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