The GRB-Supernova Connection

Abstract

Long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are believed to be produced by the core collapse of massive stars and hence to be connected with supernovae (SNe). Indeed, for four pairs of GRBs and SNe, spectroscopically confirmed connection has been firmly established. For more than a dozen of GRBs the SN signature (the `red bump') has been detected in the afterglow lightcurves. Based on the four pairs of GRBs and SNe with spectroscopically confirmed connection a tight correlation was found between the peak spectral energy of GRBs and the peak bolometric luminosity of the underlying SNe. The recent discovery of X-ray flash 080109 associated with a normal core-collapse SN 2008D confirmed this relation and extended the GRB-SN connection. Progress on the GRB-SN connection is briefly reviewed.