Yang, BinBinYangJin, Zhi-PingZhi-PingJinLi, XiangXiangLiCOVINO, StefanoStefanoCOVINOZheng, Xian-ZhongXian-ZhongZhengHotokezaka, KentaKentaHotokezakaFan, Yi-ZhongYi-ZhongFanPiran, TsviTsviPiranWei, Da-MingDa-MingWei2020-03-302020-03-3020152041-1723http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12386/23680Long-duration (>2 s) γ-ray bursts that are believed to originate from the death of massive stars are expected to be accompanied by supernovae. GRB 060614, that lasted 102 s, lacks a supernova-like emission down to very stringent limits and its physical origin is still debated. Here we report the discovery of near-infrared bump that is significantly above the regular decaying afterglow. This red bump is inconsistent with even the weakest known supernova. However, it can arise from a Li-Paczyński macronova--the radioactive decay of debris following a compact binary merger. If this interpretation is correct, GRB 060614 arose from a compact binary merger rather than from the death of a massive star and it was a site of a significant production of heavy r-process elements. The significant ejected mass favours a black hole-neutron star merger but a double neutron star merger cannot be ruled out. <P />ELETTRONICOenArticle10.1038/ncomms83232-s2.0-84931275465000357172100006https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms83232015NatCo...6.7323YFIS/05 - ASTRONOMIA E ASTROFISICAScienze Fisiche Settori ERC (ERC) di riferimento::PE9 Universe sciences: astro-physics/chemistry/biology; solar systems; stellar, galactic and extragalactic astronomy, planetary systems, cosmology, space science, instrumentation::PE9_11 Relativistic astrophysics