GRB off-axis afterglows and the emission from the accompanying supernovae

Gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows are likely produced in the shock that is driven as the GRB jet interacts with the external medium. Long-duration GRBs are also associated with powerful supernovae (SNe). We consider the optical and radio afterglows of long GRBs for both blasts viewed along the jet axis (‘on-axis’ afterglows) and misaligned observes (‘off-axis’ afterglows). Comparing the optical emission from the afterglow with that of the accompanying SN, using SN 1998bw as an archetype, we find that only a few per cent of afterglows viewed off-axis are brighter than the SN. For observable optical off-axis afterglows, the viewing angle is at most twice the half-opening angle of the GRB jet. Radio off-axis afterglows should be detected with upcoming radio surveys within a few hundred Mpc. We propose that these surveys will act as ‘radio triggers’, and that dedicated radio facilities should follow-up these sources. Follow-ups can unveil the presence of the radio SN remnant, if present. In addition, they can probe the presence of a mildly relativistic component, either associated with the GRB jet or the SN ejecta, expected in these sources.