Supernovae and Gamma-Ray Bursts

Abstract

I review the observational status of the Supernova/Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) connection. Available data suggest that Supernovae (SNe) associated with GRBs form an heterogeneous class of objects including bright and faint hypernovae (Hyp) and perhaps also `standard' Ib/c events. Current estimates of SN and GRB rates and beaming angles yield ratios GRB/SNe-Ibc ~2% and GRB/Hyp ~25%. In the few SN/GRB associations so far discovered the SN and GRB events appear to go off simultaneously, although data do not exclude that the SN may precede the GRB by a few days.