First author

Alicia Soderberg, an astronomy student at the California Institute of Technology, bet her PhD on capturing brilliant, long bursts of light from a relatively close dying star. Such bursts are expected from only a rare type of supernova — the gamma-ray burst (GRB). By studying local supernovae, Soderberg and her team aimed to pinpoint the physical mechanism distinguishing an ordinary supernova from a GRB or its X-ray flash (XRF) subclass. The tell-tale signal eventually came from the second-nearest GRB ever recorded (see page 1014). Soderberg talked to Nature about her results.

How did you catch the bursts?

We coordinated our efforts across many of the most powerful observatories in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. We also used simultaneous observations from several satellites, including the Chandra X-ray Observatory in Massachusetts and NASA's Swift X-ray Telescope. The 'afterglow' light from GRBs and XRFs fades quickly, so rapid, coordinated reponses are essential. When the Swift satellite detects a new burst, it rings our cellphones, so we can immediately begin coordinating our observational response.

What sorts of things were you doing when the satellite rang you?

Mostly sleeping! The Swift satellite tends to find bursts at night, so optical telescopes can begin observing the afterglow immediately.

How long have you been working on this?

I've spent four to five years observing new supernovae, looking for the tell-tale sign of an accompanying GRB or XRF.

What was your reaction to the data?

I was excited and relieved! When I began my thesis I wondered whether GRBs and XRFs might be lurking in a significant fraction of local supernovae. But after studying about 150 supernovae and finding no sign of a GRB or XRF, I wondered if I would ever find one.

How hard was it piecing together data from so many instruments?

It can be very confusing. Often the data don't fit the classical models.

What drew you to this field in the first place?

The GRB field is young, so every event brings new discoveries.

What's the most significant thing you learned?

Supernovae and GRBs might not be as different as was believed. We now know that there are explosions that bridge the gap between ordinary supernovae and the powerful GRBs and XRFs.