Multi-messenger Observations of a Binary Neutron Star Merger

B. P. ABBOTT1, R. ABBOTT1, T. D. ABBOTT2; S. BABAK38, P. BACON39, M. K. M. BADER14; M. C. DÍAZ688, L. M. MACRI689, D. GARCÍA LAMBAS690, C. MENDES DE OLIVEIRA691, J. L. NILO CASTELLÓN692,693, T. RIBEIRO694, B. SÁNCHEZ690, W. SCHOENELL691,695, L. R. ABRAMO696, S. AKRAS697, J. S. ALCANIZ697, R. ARTOLA690, M. BEROIZ688, S. BONOLI698,; J. CABRAL690, R. CAMUCCIO688, V. CHAVUSHYAN699, P. COELHO691, C. COLAZO690, M. V. COSTA-DUARTE691, H. CUEVAS LARENAS693, M. DOMÍNGUEZ ROMERO690, D. DULTZIN700, D. FERNÁNDEZ701, J. GARCÍA688, C. GIRARDINI690, D. R. GONÇALVES702, T. S. GONÇALVES702; S. GUROVICH690, Y. JIMÉNEZ-TEJA697, A. KANAAN695, M. LARES690, R. LOPES DE OLIVEIRA694,703, O. LÓPEZ-CRUZ699, R. MELIA690, A. MOLINO691, N. PADILLA701, T. PEÑUELA688,704,; V. M. PLACCO705,706,C. QUIÑONES690, A. RAMÍREZ RIVERA693, V. RENZI690, L. RIGUCCINI702,E. RÍOS-LÓPEZ699, H. RODRIGUEZ690, L. SAMPEDRO691, M. SCHNEITER690, L. SODRÉ691, M. STARCK690, S. TORRES-FLORES693; M. TORNATORE690, A. ZADRO?NY688, M. CASTILLO688 (TOROS: TRANSIENT R

ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL

IOP PUBLISHING LTD

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2017

0004-637X

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 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 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 . 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 ) 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 and 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.