Multi-messenger Observations of a Binary Neutron Star Merger

AGILE Team; ALMA Collaboration; ANTARES Collaboration; ASKAP Australian SKA Pathfinder; AstroSat Cadmium Zinc Telluride Imager Team; ATCA: Australia Telescope Compact Array; ATLAS; BOOTES Collaboration; CALET Collaboration; Chandra Team at McGill University; Dark Energy Camera GW-EM; DFN Desert Fireball Network; DLT40 Collaboration; ePESSTO; Euro VLBI Team; Fermi GBM Collaboration; Fermi Large Area Telescope Collaboration; GRAvitational Wave Inaf TeAm (GRAWITA); GROWTH JAGWAR CALTECH; H.E.S.S. Collaboration; HAWC Collaboration; High Time Resolution Universe Survey; Icecube Collaboration; IKI-GW Follow-up Collaboration; Insight-HXMT Collaboration; IPN Collaboration; J-GEM Collaboration; KU Collaboration; Las Cumbres Observatory Group; LIGO Scientific Collaboration; Virgo Collaboration; Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) Collaboration; LWA Long Wavelength Array; MASTER Collaboration; MAXI Collaboration; Murchison Wide-field Array (MWA) Collaboration; Nordic Optical Telescope; OzGrav Collaboration; Pan-STARRS Collaboration; Pi of the Sky Collaboration; Pierre Auger Collaboration; RIMAS and RATIR; SALT Group; SKA South Africa/MeerKAT; Swift Collaboration; Texas Tech University; The 1M2H Team; Transient Robotic Observatory of the South (TOROS) Collaboration; TZAC Consortium; VINROUGE Collaboration; INTEGRAL Collaboration; Deeper, Wider, Faster program (DWF)

doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aa91c9

Multi-messenger Observations of a Binary Neutron Star Merger

AGILE Team, ALMA Collaboration, ANTARES Collaboration, ASKAP Australian SKA Pathfinder, AstroSat Cadmium Zinc Telluride Imager Team, ATCA: Australia Telescope Compact Array, ATLAS, BOOTES Collaboration, CALET Collaboration, Chandra Team at McGill University, Dark Energy Camera GW-EM, DFN Desert Fireball Network, DLT40 Collaboration, ePESSTO, Euro VLBI Team, Fermi GBM Collaboration, Fermi Large Area Telescope Collaboration, GRAvitational Wave Inaf TeAm (GRAWITA), GROWTH JAGWAR CALTECH, H.E.S.S. CollaborationHAWC Collaboration, High Time Resolution Universe Survey, Icecube Collaboration, IKI-GW Follow-up Collaboration, Insight-HXMT Collaboration, IPN Collaboration, J-GEM Collaboration, KU Collaboration, Las Cumbres Observatory Group, LIGO Scientific Collaboration, Virgo Collaboration, Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) Collaboration, LWA Long Wavelength Array, MASTER Collaboration, MAXI Collaboration, Murchison Wide-field Array (MWA) Collaboration, Nordic Optical Telescope, OzGrav Collaboration, Pan-STARRS Collaboration, Pi of the Sky Collaboration, Pierre Auger Collaboration, RIMAS and RATIR, SALT Group, SKA South Africa/MeerKAT, Swift Collaboration, Texas Tech University, The 1M2H Team, Transient Robotic Observatory of the South (TOROS) Collaboration, TZAC Consortium, VINROUGE Collaboration, INTEGRAL Collaboration, Deeper, Wider, Faster program (DWF)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

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 similar to 1.7 s with respect to the merger time. From the gravitational-wave signal, the source was initially localized to a sky region of 31 deg(2) 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-circle dot. 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 similar to 40 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 similar to 10 days. Following early non-detections, X-ray and radio emission were discovered at the transient''s position similar to 9 and similar to 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 NGC4993 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.

Original language	English
Article number	L12
Number of pages	59
Journal	Astrophysical Journal Letters
Volume	848
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aa91c9
Publication status	Published - 20 Oct 2017
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

gravitational waves
stars: neutron
GAMMA-RAY BURST
NEARBY SUPERNOVA RATES
GRAVITATIONAL-WAVES
HOST GALAXY
AFTERGLOW
PULSAR
EVOLUTION
REDSHIFT
IMAGER
NUCLEOSYNTHESIS

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Cite this

AGILE Team, ALMA Collaboration, ANTARES Collaboration, ASKAP Australian SKA Pathfinder, AstroSat Cadmium Zinc Telluride Imager Team, ATCA: Australia Telescope Compact Array, ATLAS, BOOTES Collaboration, CALET Collaboration, Chandra Team at McGill University, Dark Energy Camera GW-EM, DFN Desert Fireball Network, DLT40 Collaboration, ePESSTO, Euro VLBI Team, Fermi GBM Collaboration, Fermi Large Area Telescope Collaboration, GRAvitational Wave Inaf TeAm (GRAWITA), GROWTH JAGWAR CALTECH, ... Deeper, Wider, Faster program (DWF) (2017). Multi-messenger Observations of a Binary Neutron Star Merger. Astrophysical Journal Letters, 848(2), Article L12. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aa91c9

@article{79d547e341694bd6bb57010124d52d09,

title = "Multi-messenger Observations of a Binary Neutron Star Merger",

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 similar to 1.7 s with respect to the merger time. From the gravitational-wave signal, the source was initially localized to a sky region of 31 deg(2) 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-circle dot. 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 similar to 40 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 similar to 10 days. Following early non-detections, X-ray and radio emission were discovered at the transient''s position similar to 9 and similar to 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 NGC4993 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.",

keywords = "gravitational waves, stars: neutron, GAMMA-RAY BURST, NEARBY SUPERNOVA RATES, GRAVITATIONAL-WAVES, HOST GALAXY, AFTERGLOW, PULSAR, EVOLUTION, REDSHIFT, IMAGER, NUCLEOSYNTHESIS",

author = "B.P. Abbott and R. Abbott and T.D. Abbott and F. Acernese and K. Ackley and C. Adams and T. Adams and P. Addesso and R.X. Adhikari and V.B. Adya and C. Affeldt and M. Afrough and B. Agarwal and M. Agathos and K. Agatsuma and N. Aggarwal and O.D. Aguiar and L. Aiello and A. Ain and P. Ajith and B. Allen and G. Allen and A. Allocca and P.A. Altin and A. Amato and A. Ananyeva and S.B. Anderson and W.G. Anderson and S.V. Angelova and S. Antier and S. Appert and K. Arai and M.C. Araya and J.S. Areeda and N. Arnaud and K.G. Arun and S. Ascenzi and G. Ashton and M. Ast and S.M. Aston and P. Astone and D.V. Atallah and P. Aufmuth and C. Aulbert and S.L. Danilishin and J. Hennig and S. Hild and J. Steinlechner and S. Steinlechner and {van den Brand}, J.F.J. and {AGILE Team} and {ALMA Collaboration} and {ANTARES Collaboration} and {ASKAP Australian SKA Pathfinder} and {AstroSat Cadmium Zinc Telluride Imager Team} and {ATCA: Australia Telescope Compact Array} and ATLAS and {BOOTES Collaboration} and {CALET Collaboration} and {Chandra Team at McGill University} and {Dark Energy Camera GW-EM} and {DFN Desert Fireball Network} and {DLT40 Collaboration} and ePESSTO and {Euro VLBI Team} and {Fermi GBM Collaboration} and {Fermi Large Area Telescope Collaboration} and {GRAvitational Wave Inaf TeAm (GRAWITA)} and {GROWTH JAGWAR CALTECH} and {H.E.S.S. Collaboration} and {HAWC Collaboration} and {High Time Resolution Universe Survey} and {Icecube Collaboration} and {IKI-GW Follow-up Collaboration} and {Insight-HXMT Collaboration} and {IPN Collaboration} and {J-GEM Collaboration} and {KU Collaboration} and {Las Cumbres Observatory Group} and {LIGO Scientific Collaboration} and {Virgo Collaboration} and {Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) Collaboration} and {LWA Long Wavelength Array} and {MASTER Collaboration} and {MAXI Collaboration} and {Murchison Wide-field Array (MWA) Collaboration} and {Nordic Optical Telescope} and {OzGrav Collaboration} and {Pan-STARRS Collaboration} and {Pi of the Sky Collaboration} and {Pierre Auger Collaboration} and {RIMAS and RATIR} and {SALT Group} and {SKA South Africa/MeerKAT} and {Swift Collaboration} and {Texas Tech University} and {The 1M2H Team} and {Transient Robotic Observatory of the South (TOROS) Collaboration} and {TZAC Consortium} and {VINROUGE Collaboration} and {INTEGRAL Collaboration} and {Deeper, Wider, Faster program (DWF)}",

year = "2017",

month = oct,

day = "20",

doi = "10.3847/2041-8213/aa91c9",

language = "English",

volume = "848",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal Letters",

issn = "2041-8205",

publisher = "IOP Publishing Ltd.",

number = "2",

}

AGILE Team, ALMA Collaboration, ANTARES Collaboration, ASKAP Australian SKA Pathfinder, AstroSat Cadmium Zinc Telluride Imager Team, ATCA: Australia Telescope Compact Array, ATLAS, BOOTES Collaboration, CALET Collaboration, Chandra Team at McGill University, Dark Energy Camera GW-EM, DFN Desert Fireball Network, DLT40 Collaboration, ePESSTO, Euro VLBI Team, Fermi GBM Collaboration, Fermi Large Area Telescope Collaboration, GRAvitational Wave Inaf TeAm (GRAWITA), GROWTH JAGWAR CALTECH, H.E.S.S. Collaboration, HAWC Collaboration, High Time Resolution Universe Survey, Icecube Collaboration, IKI-GW Follow-up Collaboration, Insight-HXMT Collaboration, IPN Collaboration, J-GEM Collaboration, KU Collaboration, Las Cumbres Observatory Group, LIGO Scientific Collaboration, Virgo Collaboration, Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) Collaboration, LWA Long Wavelength Array, MASTER Collaboration, MAXI Collaboration, Murchison Wide-field Array (MWA) Collaboration, Nordic Optical Telescope, OzGrav Collaboration, Pan-STARRS Collaboration, Pi of the Sky Collaboration, Pierre Auger Collaboration, RIMAS and RATIR, SALT Group, SKA South Africa/MeerKAT, Swift Collaboration, Texas Tech University, The 1M2H Team, Transient Robotic Observatory of the South (TOROS) Collaboration, TZAC Consortium, VINROUGE Collaboration, INTEGRAL Collaboration & Deeper, Wider, Faster program (DWF) 2017, 'Multi-messenger Observations of a Binary Neutron Star Merger', Astrophysical Journal Letters, vol. 848, no. 2, L12. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aa91c9

TY - JOUR

T1 - Multi-messenger Observations of a Binary Neutron Star Merger

AU - Abbott, B.P.

AU - Abbott, R.

AU - Abbott, T.D.

AU - Acernese, F.

AU - Ackley, K.

AU - Adams, C.

AU - Adams, T.

AU - Addesso, P.

AU - Adhikari, R.X.

AU - Adya, V.B.

AU - Affeldt, C.

AU - Afrough, M.

AU - Agarwal, B.

AU - Agathos, M.

AU - Agatsuma, K.

AU - Aggarwal, N.

AU - Aguiar, O.D.

AU - Aiello, L.

AU - Ain, A.

AU - Ajith, P.

AU - Allen, B.

AU - Allen, G.

AU - Allocca, A.

AU - Altin, P.A.

AU - Amato, A.

AU - Ananyeva, A.

AU - Anderson, S.B.

AU - Anderson, W.G.

AU - Angelova, S.V.

AU - Antier, S.

AU - Appert, S.

AU - Arai, K.

AU - Araya, M.C.

AU - Areeda, J.S.

AU - Arnaud, N.

AU - Arun, K.G.

AU - Ascenzi, S.

AU - Ashton, G.

AU - Ast, M.

AU - Aston, S.M.

AU - Astone, P.

AU - Atallah, D.V.

AU - Aufmuth, P.

AU - Aulbert, C.

AU - Danilishin, S.L.

AU - Hennig, J.

AU - Hild, S.

AU - Steinlechner, J.

AU - Steinlechner, S.

AU - van den Brand, J.F.J.

AU - AGILE Team

AU - ALMA Collaboration

AU - ANTARES Collaboration

AU - ASKAP Australian SKA Pathfinder

AU - AstroSat Cadmium Zinc Telluride Imager Team

AU - ATCA: Australia Telescope Compact Array

AU - ATLAS

AU - BOOTES Collaboration

AU - CALET Collaboration

AU - Chandra Team at McGill University

AU - Dark Energy Camera GW-EM

AU - DFN Desert Fireball Network

AU - DLT40 Collaboration

AU - ePESSTO

AU - Euro VLBI Team

AU - Fermi GBM Collaboration

AU - Fermi Large Area Telescope Collaboration

AU - GRAvitational Wave Inaf TeAm (GRAWITA)

AU - GROWTH JAGWAR CALTECH

AU - H.E.S.S. Collaboration

AU - HAWC Collaboration

AU - High Time Resolution Universe Survey

AU - Icecube Collaboration

AU - IKI-GW Follow-up Collaboration

AU - Insight-HXMT Collaboration

AU - IPN Collaboration

AU - J-GEM Collaboration

AU - KU Collaboration

AU - Las Cumbres Observatory Group

AU - LIGO Scientific Collaboration

AU - Virgo Collaboration

AU - Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) Collaboration

AU - LWA Long Wavelength Array

AU - MASTER Collaboration

AU - MAXI Collaboration

AU - Murchison Wide-field Array (MWA) Collaboration

AU - Nordic Optical Telescope

AU - OzGrav Collaboration

AU - Pan-STARRS Collaboration

AU - Pi of the Sky Collaboration

AU - Pierre Auger Collaboration

AU - RIMAS and RATIR

AU - SALT Group

AU - SKA South Africa/MeerKAT

AU - Swift Collaboration

AU - Texas Tech University

AU - The 1M2H Team

AU - Transient Robotic Observatory of the South (TOROS) Collaboration

AU - TZAC Consortium

AU - VINROUGE Collaboration

AU - INTEGRAL Collaboration

AU - Deeper, Wider, Faster program (DWF)

PY - 2017/10/20

Y1 - 2017/10/20

N2 - 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 similar to 1.7 s with respect to the merger time. From the gravitational-wave signal, the source was initially localized to a sky region of 31 deg(2) 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-circle dot. 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 similar to 40 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 similar to 10 days. Following early non-detections, X-ray and radio emission were discovered at the transient''s position similar to 9 and similar to 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 NGC4993 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.

AB - 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 similar to 1.7 s with respect to the merger time. From the gravitational-wave signal, the source was initially localized to a sky region of 31 deg(2) 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-circle dot. 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 similar to 40 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 similar to 10 days. Following early non-detections, X-ray and radio emission were discovered at the transient''s position similar to 9 and similar to 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 NGC4993 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.

KW - gravitational waves

KW - stars: neutron

KW - GAMMA-RAY BURST

KW - NEARBY SUPERNOVA RATES

KW - GRAVITATIONAL-WAVES

KW - HOST GALAXY

KW - AFTERGLOW

KW - PULSAR

KW - EVOLUTION

KW - REDSHIFT

KW - IMAGER

KW - NUCLEOSYNTHESIS

U2 - 10.3847/2041-8213/aa91c9

DO - 10.3847/2041-8213/aa91c9

M3 - Article

SN - 2041-8205

VL - 848

JO - Astrophysical Journal Letters

JF - Astrophysical Journal Letters

IS - 2

M1 - L12

ER -