Mapping the Zoo of engine driven explosions with late-time X-rays

We propose an in-depth study of a nearby long gamma-ray burst (GRB, z < 0.3) with Chandra. Our synergistic multi-wavelength effort (radio, optical, Swift/XRT and proposed Chandra) is designed to extract the true energy of these explosions and to reveal the activity of their central engines. This effort allows us to: (i) investigate whether sub-energetic GRBs share the same explosion mechanisms and central engines as ordinary GRBs; (ii) investigate what essential physical property enables only a small fraction of supernovae to harbor a relativistic outflow; (iii) understand if jet-driven explosions are common in all supernovae. These objectives are only possible by expanding the current small sample of local GRBs and by drawing comparisons with cosmological GRBs and ordinary SNe.