Multi-messenger observations of a binary neutron star merger
LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration; Fermi GBM; INTEGRAL; IceCube Collaboration; AstroSat Cadmium Zinc Telluride Imager Team; IPN Collaboration; The Insight-HXMT Collaboration; ANTARES Collaboration; The Swift Collaboration; AGILE Team; The 1M2H Team; The Dark Energy Camera GW-EM Collaboration and the DES Collaboration; The DLT40 Collaboration; GRAWITA: GRAvitational Wave Inaf TeAm; The Fermi Large Area Telescope Collaboration; ATCA: Australia Telescope Compact Array; ASKAP: Australian SKA Path finder; Las Cumbres Observatory Group; OzGrav; DWF (Deeper, Wider, Faster Program); AST3; CAASTRO Collaborations; The VINROUGE Collaboration; MASTER Collaboration; J-GEM; GROWTH; JAGWAR; Caltech- NRAO; TTU-NRAO; NuSTAR Collaborations; Pan-STARR; The MAXI Team; TZAC Consortium; KU Collaboration; Nordic Optical Telescope; ePESSTO; GROND; Texas Tech University; SALT Group; TOROS: Transient Robotic Observatory of the South Collaboration; The BOOTES Collaboration; MWA: Murchison Wide field Array; The CALET Collaboration; IKI-GW Follow-up Collaboration; H.E.S.S. Collaboration; LOFAR Collaboration; LWA: Long Wavelength Array; HAWC Collaboration; The Pierre Auger Collaboration; ALMA Collaboration; Euro VLBI Team; Pi of the Sky Collaboration; The Chandra Team at McGill University; DFN: Desert Fireball Network; ATLAS; High Time Resolution Universe Survey; RIMAS and RATIR; SKA South Africa / MeerKAT (2017). Multi-messenger observations of a binary neutron star merger. Astrophys. J. Lett. 848(2): L12. https://dx.doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aa91c9
In: The Astrophysical Journal: Letters. IOP Publishing: London. ISSN 2041-8205; e-ISSN 2041-8213, more
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| Author keywords |
gravitational waves; stars: neutron |
| Authors | | Top |
- LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration
- Fermi GBM
- INTEGRAL
- IceCube Collaboration
- AstroSat Cadmium Zinc Telluride Imager Team
- IPN Collaboration
- The Insight-HXMT Collaboration
- ANTARES Collaboration
- The Swift Collaboration
- AGILE Team
- The 1M2H Team
- The Dark Energy Camera GW-EM Collaboration and the DES Collaboration
- The DLT40 Collaboration
- GRAWITA: GRAvitational Wave Inaf TeAm
- The Fermi Large Area Telescope Collaboration
- ATCA: Australia Telescope Compact Array
- ASKAP: Australian SKA Path finder
- Las Cumbres Observatory Group
- OzGrav
- DWF (Deeper, Wider, Faster Program)
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- AST3
- CAASTRO Collaborations
- The VINROUGE Collaboration
- MASTER Collaboration
- J-GEM
- GROWTH
- JAGWAR
- Caltech- NRAO
- TTU-NRAO
- NuSTAR Collaborations
- Pan-STARR
- The MAXI Team
- TZAC Consortium
- KU Collaboration
- Nordic Optical Telescope
- ePESSTO
- GROND
- Texas Tech University
- SALT Group
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- TOROS: Transient Robotic Observatory of the South Collaboration
- The BOOTES Collaboration
- MWA: Murchison Wide field Array
- The CALET Collaboration
- IKI-GW Follow-up Collaboration
- H.E.S.S. Collaboration
- LOFAR Collaboration
- LWA: Long Wavelength Array
- HAWC Collaboration
- The Pierre Auger Collaboration
- ALMA Collaboration
- Euro VLBI Team
- Pi of the Sky Collaboration
- The Chandra Team at McGill University
- DFN: Desert Fireball Network
- ATLAS
- High Time Resolution Universe Survey
- RIMAS and RATIR
- SKA South Africa / MeerKAT
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| Abstract |
On 2017 August 17 a binary neutron star coalescence candidate (later designated GW170817) with merger time 12:41:04 UTC was observed through gravitational waves by the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor independently detected a gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) with a time delay of $\sim 1.7\,{\rm{s}}$ with respect to the merger time. From the gravitational-wave signal, the source was initially localized to a sky region of 31 deg2 at a luminosity distance of ${40}_{-8}^{+8}$ Mpc and with component masses consistent with neutron stars. The component masses were later measured to be in the range 0.86 to 2.26 $\,{M}_{\odot }$. An extensive observing campaign was launched across the electromagnetic spectrum leading to the discovery of a bright optical transient (SSS17a, now with the IAU identification of AT 2017gfo) in NGC 4993 (at $\sim 40\,{\rm{Mpc}}$) less than 11 hours after the merger by the One-Meter, Two Hemisphere (1M2H) team using the 1 m Swope Telescope. The optical transient was independently detected by multiple teams within an hour. Subsequent observations targeted the object and its environment. Early ultraviolet observations revealed a blue transient that faded within 48 hours. Optical and infrared observations showed a redward evolution over ~10 days. Following early non-detections, X-ray and radio emission were discovered at the transient's position $\sim 9$ and $\sim 16$ days, respectively, after the merger. Both the X-ray and radio emission likely arise from a physical process that is distinct from the one that generates the UV/optical/near-infrared emission. No ultra-high-energy gamma-rays and no neutrino candidates consistent with the source were found in follow-up searches. These observations support the hypothesis that GW170817 was produced by the merger of two neutron stars in NGC 4993 followed by a short gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) and a kilonova/macronova powered by the radioactive decay of r-process nuclei synthesized in the ejecta. |
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