Signatures of a jet cocoon in early spectra of a supernova associated with a γ-ray burst.

Long γ-ray bursts are associated with energetic, broad-lined, stripped-envelope supernovae1,2 and as such mark the death of massive stars. The scarcity of such events nearby and the brightness of the γ-ray burst afterglow, which dominates the emission in the first few days after the burst, have so far prevented the study of the very early evolution of supernovae associated with γ-ray bursts3. In hydrogen-stripped supernovae that are not associated with γ-ray bursts, an excess of high-velocity (roughly 30,000 kilometres per second) material has been interpreted as a signature of a choked jet, which did not emerge from the progenitor star and instead deposited all of its energy in a thermal cocoon4. Here we report multi-epoch spectroscopic observations of the supernova SN 2017iuk, which is associated with the γ-ray burst GRB 171205A. Our spectra display features at extremely high expansion velocities (around 115,000 kilometres per second) within the first day after the burst5,6. Using spectral synthesis models developed for SN 2017iuk, we show that these features are characterized by chemical abundances that differ from those observed in the ejecta of SN 2017iuk at later times. We further show that the high-velocity features originate from the mildly relativistic hot cocoon that is generated by an ultra-relativistic jet within the γ-ray burst expanding and decelerating into the medium that surrounds the progenitor star7,8. This cocoon rapidly becomes transparent9 and is outshone by the supernova emission, which starts to dominate the emission three days after the burst.

Observation of inverse Compton emission from a long γ-ray burst.

Long-duration γ-ray bursts (GRBs) originate from ultra-relativistic jets launched from the collapsing cores of dying massive stars. They are characterized by an initial phase of bright and highly variable radiation in the kiloelectronvolt-to-megaelectronvolt band, which is probably produced within the jet and lasts from milliseconds to minutes, known as the prompt emission1,2. Subsequently, the interaction of the jet with the surrounding medium generates shock waves that are responsible for the afterglow emission, which lasts from days to months and occurs over a broad energy range from the radio to the gigaelectronvolt bands1-6. The afterglow emission is generally well explained as synchrotron radiation emitted by electrons accelerated by the external shock7-9. Recently, intense long-lasting emission between 0.2 and 1 teraelectronvolts was observed from GRB 190114C10,11. Here we report multi-frequency observations of GRB 190114C, and study the evolution in time of the GRB emission across 17 orders of magnitude in energy, from 5 × 10-6 to 1012 electronvolts. We find that the broadband spectral energy distribution is double-peaked, with the teraelectronvolt emission constituting a distinct spectral component with power comparable to the synchrotron component. This component is associated with the afterglow and is satisfactorily explained by inverse Compton up-scattering of synchrotron photons by high-energy electrons. We find that the conditions required to account for the observed teraelectronvolt component are typical for GRBs, supporting the possibility that inverse Compton emission is commonly produced in GRBs.

Spectroscopic identification of r-process nucleosynthesis in a double neutron-star merger.

The merger of two neutron stars is predicted to give rise to three major detectable phenomena: a short burst of γ-rays, a gravitational-wave signal, and a transient optical-near-infrared source powered by the synthesis of large amounts of very heavy elements via rapid neutron capture (the r-process). Such transients, named 'macronovae' or 'kilonovae', are believed to be centres of production of rare elements such as gold and platinum. The most compelling evidence so far for a kilonova was a very faint near-infrared rebrightening in the afterglow of a short γ-ray burst at redshift z = 0.356, although findings indicating bluer events have been reported. Here we report the spectral identification and describe the physical properties of a bright kilonova associated with the gravitational-wave source GW170817 and γ-ray burst GRB 170817A associated with a galaxy at a distance of 40 megaparsecs from Earth. Using a series of spectra from ground-based observatories covering the wavelength range from the ultraviolet to the near-infrared, we find that the kilonova is characterized by rapidly expanding ejecta with spectral features similar to those predicted by current models. The ejecta is optically thick early on, with a velocity of about 0.2 times light speed, and reaches a radius of about 50 astronomical units in only 1.5 days. As the ejecta expands, broad absorption-like lines appear on the spectral continuum, indicating atomic species produced by nucleosynthesis that occurs in the post-merger fast-moving dynamical ejecta and in two slower (0.05 times light speed) wind regions. Comparison with spectral models suggests that the merger ejected 0.03 to 0.05 solar masses of material, including high-opacity lanthanides.

Circular polarization in the optical afterglow of GRB 121024A.

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are most probably powered by collimated relativistic outflows (jets) from accreting black holes at cosmological distances. Bright afterglows are produced when the outflow collides with the ambient medium. Afterglow polarization directly probes the magnetic properties of the jet when measured minutes after the burst, and it probes the geometric properties of the jet and the ambient medium when measured hours to days after the burst. High values of optical polarization detected minutes after the burst of GRB 120308A indicate the presence of large-scale ordered magnetic fields originating from the central engine (the power source of the GRB). Theoretical models predict low degrees of linear polarization and no circular polarization at late times, when the energy in the original ejecta is quickly transferred to the ambient medium and propagates farther into the medium as a blast wave. Here we report the detection of circularly polarized light in the afterglow of GRB 121024A, measured 0.15 days after the burst. We show that the circular polarization is intrinsic to the afterglow and unlikely to be produced by dust scattering or plasma propagation effects. A possible explanation is to invoke anisotropic (rather than the commonly assumed isotropic) electron pitch-angle distributions, and we suggest that new models are required to produce the complex microphysics of realistic shocks in relativistic jets.

Swings between rotation and accretion power in a binary millisecond pulsar.

It is thought that neutron stars in low-mass binary systems can accrete matter and angular momentum from the companion star and be spun-up to millisecond rotational periods. During the accretion stage, the system is called a low-mass X-ray binary, and bright X-ray emission is observed. When the rate of mass transfer decreases in the later evolutionary stages, these binaries host a radio millisecond pulsar whose emission is powered by the neutron star's rotating magnetic field. This evolutionary model is supported by the detection of millisecond X-ray pulsations from several accreting neutron stars and also by the evidence for a past accretion disc in a rotation-powered millisecond pulsar. It has been proposed that a rotation-powered pulsar may temporarily switch on during periods of low mass inflow in some such systems. Only indirect evidence for this transition has hitherto been observed. Here we report observations of accretion-powered, millisecond X-ray pulsations from a neutron star previously seen as a rotation-powered radio pulsar. Within a few days after a month-long X-ray outburst, radio pulses were again detected. This not only shows the evolutionary link between accretion and rotation-powered millisecond pulsars, but also that some systems can swing between the two states on very short timescales.

Relevance of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in cystic fibrosis.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important issue for physicians who take care of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Here, we review the latest research on how P. aeruginosa infection causes lung function to decline and how several factors contribute to the emergence of antibiotic resistance in P. aeruginosa strains and influence the course of the infection course. However, many aspects of the practical management of patients with CF infected with MDR P. aeruginosa are still to be established. Less is known about the exact role of susceptibility testing in clinical strategies for dealing with resistant infections, and there is an urgent need to find a tool to assist in choosing the best therapeutic strategy for MDR P. aeruginosa infection. One current perception is that the selection of antibiotic therapy according to antibiogram results is an important component of the decision-making process, but other patient factors, such as previous infection history and antibiotic courses, also need to be evaluated. On the basis of the known issues and the best current data on respiratory infections caused by MDR P. aeruginosa, this review provides practical suggestions to optimize the diagnostic and therapeutic management of patients with CF who are infected with these pathogens.

The unusual gamma-ray burst GRB 101225A explained as a minor body falling onto a neutron star.

The tidal disruption of a solar-mass star around a supermassive black hole has been extensively studied analytically and numerically. In these events, the star develops into an elongated banana-shaped structure. After completing an eccentric orbit, the bound debris falls into the black hole, forming an accretion disk and emitting radiation. The same process may occur on planetary scales if a minor body passes too close to its star. In the Solar System, comets fall directly into our Sun or onto planets. If the star is a compact object, the minor body can become tidally disrupted. Indeed, one of the first mechanisms invoked to produce strong gamma-ray emission involved accretion of comets onto neutron stars in our Galaxy. Here we report that the peculiarities of the 'Christmas' gamma-ray burst (GRB 101225A) can be explained by a tidal disruption event of a minor body around an isolated Galactic neutron star. This would indicate either that minor bodies can be captured by compact stellar remnants more frequently than occurs in the Solar System or that minor-body formation is relatively easy around millisecond radio pulsars. A peculiar supernova associated with a gamma-ray burst provides an alternative explanation.

Relativistic jet activity from the tidal disruption of a star by a massive black hole.

Supermassive black holes have powerful gravitational fields with strong gradients that can destroy stars that get too close, producing a bright flare in ultraviolet and X-ray spectral regions from stellar debris that forms an accretion disk around the black hole. The aftermath of this process may have been seen several times over the past two decades in the form of sparsely sampled, slowly fading emission from distant galaxies, but the onset of the stellar disruption event has not hitherto been observed. Here we report observations of a bright X-ray flare from the extragalactic transient Swift J164449.3+573451. This source increased in brightness in the X-ray band by a factor of at least 10,000 since 1990 and by a factor of at least 100 since early 2010. We conclude that we have captured the onset of relativistic jet activity from a supermassive black hole. A companion paper comes to similar conclusions on the basis of radio observations. This event is probably due to the tidal disruption of a star falling into a supermassive black hole, but the detailed behaviour differs from current theoretical models of such events.

GRB 090423 at a redshift of z approximately 8.1.

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are produced by rare types of massive stellar explosion. Their rapidly fading afterglows are often bright enough at optical wavelengths that they are detectable at cosmological distances. Hitherto, the highest known redshift for a GRB was z = 6.7 (ref. 1), for GRB 080913, and for a galaxy was z = 6.96 (ref. 2). Here we report observations of GRB 090423 and the near-infrared spectroscopic measurement of its redshift, z = 8.1(-0.3)(+0.1). This burst happened when the Universe was only about 4 per cent of its current age. Its properties are similar to those of GRBs observed at low/intermediate redshifts, suggesting that the mechanisms and progenitors that gave rise to this burst about 600,000,000 years after the Big Bang are not markedly different from those producing GRBs about 10,000,000,000 years later.

Mating scars reveal mate size in immature female blue shark Prionace glauca.

The objective of this study was to determine the size and maturity status of the male blue sharks Prionace glauca attempting to mate with small, immature females in the north-west Atlantic Ocean. The relationship between male curved fork length (LFC ) and jaw gape was used in conjunction with the diameter of the mating scar to estimate the LFC and infer the maturity status of the male shark that produced the mating scar. The results indicate that mature males with a mean ± s.d. LFC of 218 cm ± 23 cm were attempting to mate with sexually immature females.

Broadband observations of the naked-eye gamma-ray burst GRB 080319B.

Long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) release copious amounts of energy across the entire electromagnetic spectrum, and so provide a window into the process of black hole formation from the collapse of massive stars. Previous early optical observations of even the most exceptional GRBs (990123 and 030329) lacked both the temporal resolution to probe the optical flash in detail and the accuracy needed to trace the transition from the prompt emission within the outflow to external shocks caused by interaction with the progenitor environment. Here we report observations of the extraordinarily bright prompt optical and gamma-ray emission of GRB 080319B that provide diagnostics within seconds of its formation, followed by broadband observations of the afterglow decay that continued for weeks. We show that the prompt emission stems from a single physical region, implying an extremely relativistic outflow that propagates within the narrow inner core of a two-component jet.

Bone texture analysis of human femurs using a new device (BMA™) improves failure load prediction.

UNLABELLED: We measured bone texture parameters of excised human femurs with a new device (BMA™). We also measured bone mineral density by DXA and investigated the performance of these parameters in the prediction of failure load. Our results suggest that bone texture parameters improve failure load prediction when added to bone mineral density. INTRODUCTION: Bone mineral density (BMD) is a strong determinant of bone strength. However, nearly half of the fractures occur in patients with BMD which does not reach the osteoporotic threshold. In order to assess fracture risk properly, other factors are important to be taken into account such as clinical risk factors as well as macro- and microarchitecture of bone. Bone microarchitecture is usually assessed by high-resolution QCT, but this cannot be applied in routine clinical settings due to irradiation, cost and availability concerns. Texture analysis of bone has shown to be correlated to bone strength. METHODS: We used a new device to get digitized X-rays of 12 excised human femurs in order to measure bone texture parameters in three different regions of interest (ROIs). We investigated the performance of these parameters in the prediction of the failure load using biomechanical tests. Texture parameters measured were the fractal dimension (Hmean), the co-occurrence matrix, and the run length matrix. We also measured bone mineral density by DXA in the same ROIs as well as in standard DXA hip regions. RESULTS: The Spearman correlation coefficient between BMD and texture parameters measured in the same ROIs ranged from -0.05 (nonsignificant (NS)) to 0.57 (p = 0.003). There was no correlation between Hmean and co-occurrence matrix nor Hmean and run length matrix in the same ROI (r = -0.04 to 0.52, NS). Co-occurrence matrix and run length matrix in the same ROI were highly correlated (r = 0.90 to 0.99, p < 0.0001). Univariate analysis with the failure load revealed significant correlation only with BMD results, not texture parameters. Multiple regression analysis showed that the best predictors of failure load were BMD, Hmean, and run length matrix at the femoral neck, as well as age and sex, with an adjusted r (2) = 0.88. Added to femoral neck BMD, Hmean and run length matrix at the femoral neck (without the effect of age and sex) improved failure load prediction (compared to femoral neck BMD alone) from adjusted r (2) = 0.67 to adjusted r (2) = 0.84. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that bone texture measurement improves failure load prediction when added to BMD.

An enigmatic long-lasting gamma-ray burst not accompanied by a bright supernova.

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are short, intense flashes of soft gamma-rays coming from the distant Universe. Long-duration GRBs (those lasting more than approximately 2 s) are believed to originate from the deaths of massive stars, mainly on the basis of a handful of solid associations between GRBs and supernovae. GRB 060614, one of the closest GRBs discovered, consisted of a 5-s hard spike followed by softer, brighter emission that lasted for approximately 100 s (refs 8, 9). Here we report deep optical observations of GRB 060614 showing no emerging supernova with absolute visual magnitude brighter than M(V) = -13.7. Any supernova associated with GRB 060614 was therefore at least 100 times fainter, at optical wavelengths, than the other supernovae associated with GRBs. This demonstrates that some long-lasting GRBs can either be associated with a very faint supernova or produced by different phenomena.

Gamma-ray bursts: huge explosion in the early Universe.

Long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are bright flashes of high-energy photons that can last for tens of minutes; they are generally associated with galaxies that have a high rate of star formation and probably arise from the collapsing cores of massive stars, which produce highly relativistic jets (collapsar model). Here we describe gamma- and X-ray observations of the most distant GRB ever observed (GRB 050904): its redshift (z) of 6.29 means that this explosion happened 12.8 billion years ago, corresponding to a time when the Universe was just 890 million years old, close to the reionization era. This means that not only did stars form in this short period of time after the Big Bang, but also that enough time had elapsed for them to evolve and collapse into black holes.

The association of GRB 060218 with a supernova and the evolution of the shock wave.

Although the link between long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and supernovae has been established, hitherto there have been no observations of the beginning of a supernova explosion and its intimate link to a GRB. In particular, we do not know how the jet that defines a gamma-ray burst emerges from the star's surface, nor how a GRB progenitor explodes. Here we report observations of the relatively nearby GRB 060218 (ref. 5) and its connection to supernova SN 2006aj (ref. 6). In addition to the classical non-thermal emission, GRB 060218 shows a thermal component in its X-ray spectrum, which cools and shifts into the optical/ultraviolet band as time passes. We interpret these features as arising from the break-out of a shock wave driven by a mildly relativistic shell into the dense wind surrounding the progenitor. We have caught a supernova in the act of exploding, directly observing the shock break-out, which indicates that the GRB progenitor was a Wolf-Rayet star.

An origin for short gamma-ray bursts unassociated with current star formation.

Two short (< 2 s) gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have recently been localized and fading afterglow counterparts detected. The combination of these two results left unclear the nature of the host galaxies of the bursts, because one was a star-forming dwarf, while the other was probably an elliptical galaxy. Here we report the X-ray localization of a short burst (GRB 050724) with unusual gamma-ray and X-ray properties. The X-ray afterglow lies off the centre of an elliptical galaxy at a redshift of z = 0.258 (ref. 5), coincident with the position determined by ground-based optical and radio observations. The low level of star formation typical for elliptical galaxies makes it unlikely that the burst originated in a supernova explosion. A supernova origin was also ruled out for GRB 050709 (refs 3, 31), even though that burst took place in a galaxy with current star formation. The isotropic energy for the short bursts is 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than that for the long bursts. Our results therefore suggest that an alternative source of bursts--the coalescence of binary systems of neutron stars or a neutron star-black hole pair--are the progenitors of short bursts.

An unexpectedly rapid decline in the X-ray afterglow emission of long gamma-ray bursts.

'Long' gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are commonly accepted to originate in the explosion of particularly massive stars, which give rise to highly relativistic jets. Inhomogeneities in the expanding flow result in internal shock waves that are believed to produce the gamma-rays we see. As the jet travels further outward into the surrounding circumstellar medium, 'external' shocks create the afterglow emission seen in the X-ray, optical and radio bands. Here we report observations of the early phases of the X-ray emission of five GRBs. Their X-ray light curves are characterised by a surprisingly rapid fall-off for the first few hundred seconds, followed by a less rapid decline lasting several hours. This steep decline, together with detailed spectral properties of two particular bursts, shows that violent shock interactions take place in the early jet outflows.

A short gamma-ray burst apparently associated with an elliptical galaxy at redshift z = 0.225.

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) come in two classes: long (> 2 s), soft-spectrum bursts and short, hard events. Most progress has been made on understanding the long GRBs, which are typically observed at high redshift (z approximately 1) and found in subluminous star-forming host galaxies. They are likely to be produced in core-collapse explosions of massive stars. In contrast, no short GRB had been accurately (< 10'') and rapidly (minutes) located. Here we report the detection of the X-ray afterglow from--and the localization of--the short burst GRB 050509B. Its position on the sky is near a luminous, non-star-forming elliptical galaxy at a redshift of 0.225, which is the location one would expect if the origin of this GRB is through the merger of neutron-star or black-hole binaries. The X-ray afterglow was weak and faded below the detection limit within a few hours; no optical afterglow was detected to stringent limits, explaining the past difficulty in localizing short GRBs.

Early Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in individuals with cystic fibrosis: is susceptibility testing justified?

OBJECTIVES: To test the presumption that Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates responsible for initial lung infection in individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) are invariably susceptible to antipseudomonal agents. METHODS: Antibiotic susceptibility was determined (MIC and Etest) in two populations of P. aeruginosa associated with initial lung infection. Population 1: environmental isolates (n=78). Population 2: clinical isolates responsible for first infection in previously non-infected patients (85 isolates from 85 patients). Susceptibility or resistance was determined using current BSAC guidelines; ninth version (2009). RESULTS: The majority (≥ 90%) of isolates in both bacterial populations were susceptible to the front-line antipseudomonal agents; colistin, ciprofloxacin, tobramycin, ceftazidime, amikacin and meropenem. Up to 10% of isolates were resistant to one or more antibiotics. A single isolate from each population would be defined as resistant to tobramycin based on a breakpoint (>128 mg/L) that has been suggested for use in patients receiving inhaled therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of susceptibility found in P. aeruginosa isolates associated with initial infection contrasts with the high prevalence of resistance found in isolates from chronic CF lung infection. However, susceptibility in early isolates cannot be presumed. Until further data are obtained from clinically based studies, susceptibility tests should continue to be performed to assist the choice of antibiotics for treatment of early infection.