A collapsar origin for GRB 211211A is (just barely) possible

Understand

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have historically been divided into two classes.

• Short-duration GRBs are associated with binary neutron-star mergers (NSMs), while long-duration bursts are connected to a subset of core-collapse supernovae (SNe).
• GRB 211211A recently made headlines as the first long-duration burst purportedly generated by an NSM.
• The evidence for an NSM origin was excess optical and near-infrared emission consistent with the kilonova observed after the gravitational wave-detected NSM GW170817.