Illuminating gravitational waves: A concordant picture of photons from a neutron star merger
Year: 2017
Type: article
Abstract: Merging neutron stars offer an excellent laboratory for simultaneously studying strong-field gravity and matter in extreme environments. We establish the physical association of an electromagnetic counterpart (EM170817) with gravitational waves (GW170817) detected from merging neutron stars. By synthesizing a panchromatic data set, we demonstrate that merging neutron stars are a long-sought production site forging heavy elements by r-process nucleosynthesis. The weak gamma rays seen in EM170817 are dissimilar to classical short gamma-ray bursts with ultrarelativistic jets. Instead, we suggest that breakout of a wide-angle, mildly relativistic cocoon engulfing the jet explains the low-luminosity gamma rays, the high-luminosity ultraviolet-optical-infrared, and the delayed radio and x-ray emission. We posit that all neutron star mergers may lead to a wide-angle cocoon breakout, sometimes accompanied by a successful jet and sometimes by a choked jet.
Source: Science
Authors: M. M. Kasliwal, E. Nakar, L. P. Singer, D. L. Kaplan, D. O. Cook, A. Van Sistine, R. M. Lau, C. Fremling, O. Gottlieb, J. E. Jencson, S. M. Adams, U. Feindt, K. Hotokezaka, S. Ghosh, D. A. Perley, P.-C. Yu, T. Piran, J. R. Allison, G. C. Anupama, A. Balasubramanian, K. W. Bannister, J. Bally, J. Barnes, S. Barway, E. Bellm, V. Bhalerao, D. Bhattacharya, N. Blagorodnova, J. S. Bloom, P. R. Brady, C. Cannella, D. Chatterjee, S. B. Cenko, B. E. Cobb, C. Copperwheat, A. Corsi, K. De, D. Dobie, S. W. K. Emery, P. A. Evans, O. D. Fox, D. A. Frail, C. Frohmaier, A. Goobar, G. Hallinan, F. Harrison, G. Helou, T. Hinderer, A. Y. Q. Ho, A. Horesh, W.-H. Ip, R. Itoh, D. Kasen, H. Kim, N. P. M. Kuin, T. Kupfer, C. Lynch, K. Madsen, P. A. Mazzali, A. A. Miller, K. Mooley, T. Murphy, C.-C. Ngeow, D. Nichols, S. Nissanke, P. Nugent, E. O. Ofek, H. Qi, R. M. Quimby, S. Rosswog, F. Rusu, E. M. Sadler, P. Schmidt, J. Sollerman, I. Steele, A. R. Williamson, Y. Xu, L. Yan, Y. Yatsu, C. Zhang, W. Zhao
Institutions: California Institute of Technology, Tel Aviv University, Goddard Space Flight Center, Joint Space Science Institute, University of Maryland, College Park, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Stockholm University, AlbaNova, Princeton University, Simons Foundation, Flatiron Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, National Central University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The University of Sydney, Australian Research Council, ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics, Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia Telescope National Facility, University of Colorado Boulder, Columbia University, South African Astronomical Observatory, University of Washington, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, George Washington University, Texas Tech University, University College London, University of Leicester, Space Telescope Science Institute, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, University of Southampton, University of Portsmouth, Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, Radboud University Nijmegen, Tokyo Institute of Technology, International Gemini Observatory, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Northwestern University, Adler Planetarium, University of Oxford, Weizmann Institute of Science, Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, San Diego State University, The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study, The University of Tokyo, University of California, Merced
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, International Rett Syndrome Foundation, California Institute of Technology, San Diego State University, Texas Tech University, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Indian Space Research Organisation, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel Science Foundation, Liverpool John Moores University, National Central University, Stockholms Universitet, Office of Science, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Awards: Rolling Grant Programme in Astrophysics, Planetary Science and Space Instrumentation - 2010-2015, G1286236842, MSSL/UCL Astrophysics Consolidated Grant 2016-2019, G1978351388, G3083819904, G3158858212, Astrophysics Research at Liverpool John Moores University, G419881185, G42916606, High Pressure Synchrotron Radiology and Microtomography Studies of Mechanisms and Kinetics of Liquid Iron -Silicate Segregation: Implications for Formation of the Earth's Core, G4501827968, G4818946782, G4974873094, G498139845, Quota Studentships, Astrophysics Research at Liverpool John Moores University: Newly Appointed Academic Staff, PIRE: GROWTH: Global Relay of Observatories Watching Transients Happen, Astrophysics Research at Liverpool John Moores University: Consolidated Grant Renewal, G6652958823, The Transient Universe as Seen in Gravitational Waves by LIGO, Gamma ray burst astrophysics, G8132138834, G8157362042, SCALABLE AND ENERGY-EFFICIENT METHODS FOR INTERACTIVE EXPLORATION OF SCIENTIFIC DATA, G8437677540, Astronomy at the Open University 2017-2020, G969889393
OpenAlex ID: W2767057808