The <i>J</i> -Band Light Curve of SN 2003lw, Associated with GRB 031203

Abstract

At z=0.1055, the gamma-ray burst GRB 031203 is one of the two nearest GRBs\nknown. Using observations from the Very Large Array (VLA) and Chandra X-ray\nObservatory, we derive sub-arcsecond localizations of the radio and X-ray\nafterglow of this GRB. We present near-infrared observations of the supernova\nSN 2003lw, which exploded in the host galaxy of the GRB 031203. Our deep, high\nresolution Magellan/PANIC data establish that this SN is spatially coincident\nwith the radio and X-ray localizations of the afterglow of GRB 031203 to\nsub-arcsecond precision, and is thus firmly associated with the GRB. We use\nimage differencing to subtract the bright emission from the host galaxy, and\nmeasure the time evolution of the SN between ~5 and ~50 days after the GRB. The\nresulting light curve has a shape which is quite different from that of the two\nSNe previously associated with GRBs, SN 1998bw and SN 2003dh. With SN 2003lw\nsecurely associated with this burst, we confirm that all three GRBs with\nredshifts z&lt;0.3 were accompanied by SN explosions.\n