Modelling the spectra and light curve of supernova SN 2006aj shows that it had a much smaller explosion energy and ejected much less mass than other gamma-ray burst–supernovae, suggesting that it was produced by a star whose initial mass was only ∼20 solar masses, and which left behind a neutron star, rather than a black hole.
- Paolo A. Mazzali
- Jinsong Deng
- Alexei V. Filippenko