Multi-messenger Observations of a Binary Neutron Star Merger<sup>*</sup>
Abstract
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 <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mo>∼</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1.7</mml:mn> <mml:mspace width="0.25em"/> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">s</mml:mi> </mml:math> 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 <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>40</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>8</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mn>8</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> 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 <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mspace width="0.25em"/> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>M</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>⊙</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> </mml:math> . 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 <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mo>∼</mml:mo> <mml:mn>40</mml:mn> <mml:mspace width="0.25em"/> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">Mpc</mml:mi> </mml:math> ) 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 <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mo>∼</mml:mo> <mml:mn>9</mml:mn> </mml:math> and <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mo>∼</mml:mo> <mml:mn>16</mml:mn> </mml:math> 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.
Funding
- National Science Foundation
- U.S. Department of Energy
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
- California Institute of Technology
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Northwestern University
- San Diego State University
- Texas Tech University
- Univerzita Karlova v Praze
- Aix-Marseille Université
- Grainger Foundation
- Villum Fonden
- Inoue Foundation for Science
- Polarforskningssekretariatet
- Astronomy Australia Limited
- UK Space Agency
- Comunidad de Madrid
- Compute Canada
- Western Canada Research Grid
- Strong
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory
- Australian Government
- Institut des Origines de Lyon
- China National Space Administration
- EGI Federation
- Hintze Family Charitable Foundation
- Universities Space Research Association
- Royal Society
- Scottish Funding Council
- Scottish Universities Physics Alliance
- University of Manchester
- European Commission
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
- National Research Foundation
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India
- Science Foundation Ireland
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche
- Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
- Stichting voor Fundamenteel Onderzoek der Materie
- Danmarks Grundforskningsfond
- Weizmann Institute of Science
- University of New South Wales
- University of Adelaide
- Curtin University of Technology
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Grantová Agentura České Republiky
- Universiteit van Amsterdam
- Russian Foundation for Basic Research
- Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Austrian Science Fund
- Fonds De La Recherche Scientifique - FNRS
- Beijing Normal University
- Belgian Federal Science Policy Office
- Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
- Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
- Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología
- Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
- Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad
- Generalitat Valenciana
- Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca
- Hungarian Scientific Research Fund
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
- Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
- National Research Foundation of Korea
- Israel Science Foundation
- Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse
- Liverpool John Moores University
- Tsinghua University
- Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
- Javna Agencija za Raziskovalno Dejavnost RS
- Vetenskapsrådet
- Ministry of Education, India
- Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
- Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica
- National Central University
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
- Autoritatea Natională pentru Cercetare Stiintifică
- Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla
- Unitatea Executiva pentru Finantarea Invatamantului Superior, a Cercetarii, Dezvoltarii si Inovarii
- Russian Science Foundation
- Nanjing University
- Stockholms Universitet
- Regione Autonoma della Sardegna
- Conseil Régional Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
- Xunta de Galicia
- National Commission on Research, Science and Technology
- Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia, Inovações e Comunicações
- Vlaamse regering
- University of Namibia
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare
- Conseil Régional d'Alsace
- Helmholtz Alliance for Astroparticle Physics
- ARC Centre of Excellence for All-Sky Astrophysics
- Govern de les Illes Balears
- Goddard Space Flight Center
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
- Economic and Social Research Council
- Science and Technology Facilities Council
- Australian Research Council
- Leibniz-Gemeinschaft
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
- Science and Engineering Research Board
- Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
- Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica
- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
- Australian Antarctic Division
- Israeli Centers for Research Excellence
- Dirección General de Asuntos del Personal Académico, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
- National Institutes of Natural Sciences
- European Regional Development Fund
- Marsden Fund
- Planning and Budgeting Committee of the Council for Higher Education of Israel
- Agencia Estatal de Investigación
- Labex UnivEarthS
- National Key Research and Development Program of China
- Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules
- National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Office of Naval Research
- Office of Polar Programs
- Division of Human Resource Development
- Laboratory Directed Research and Development
- U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
- Los Alamos National Laboratory
- FP7 People: Marie-Curie Actions
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