Astronomy current events question: "sonic boom" from gamma ray burst

Astronomy 210L, fall semester 2018
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events, and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)

Chris Sasaki, "U of T Astronomers Discover Sonic Boom from Powerful Unseen Explosion" (October 5, 2018)
utoronto.ca/news/u-t-astronomers-discover-sonic-boom-powerful-unseen-explosion

The Very Large Array in New Mexico observed __________ produced by a "sonic boom" of gamma ray burst jets from a collapsing star.
(A) light echoes.
(B) radio waves.
(C) heavy elements.
(D) charged particles.
(E) gravitational waves.

Correct answer: (B)

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186
(A) : 5 students
(B) : 9 students
(C) : 1 student
(D) : 3 students
(E) : 7 students