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Multi-messenger Observations of a Binary Neutron Star Merger

Multi-messenger Observations of a Binary Neutron Star Merger

2017 October 20 | 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 Pathfinder, Las Cumbres Observatory Group, OzGrav, DWF (Deeper, Wider, Faster Program), AST3, and CAASTRO Collaborations, The VINROUGE Collaboration, MASTER Collaboration, J-GEM, GROWTH, JAGWAR, Caltech-NRAO, TTU-NRAO, and NuSTAR Collaborations, Pan-STARRS, 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 Widefield 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, and SKA South Africa/MeerKAT
The 2017 August 17 binary neutron star merger (GW170817) was detected by the LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave detectors, followed by a gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) detected by Fermi-GBM. The source was localized to a sky region of 31 deg² at a luminosity distance of 40 ± 8 Mpc. The merger was confirmed to involve two neutron stars with masses between 0.86 and 2.26 solar masses. An optical transient (SSS17a, now AT 2017gfo) was discovered in NGC 4993 within 11 hours of the merger. The transient was detected by multiple teams and showed a blue, fading optical emission followed by a red evolution over 10 days. X-ray and radio emissions were detected 9 and 16 days after the merger, respectively, likely from different physical processes. No ultra-high-energy gamma rays or neutrinos were detected. These observations support the hypothesis that GW170817 was caused by the merger of two neutron stars in NGC 4993, followed by a short gamma-ray burst and a kilonova powered by the radioactive decay of r-process nuclei. The event marked the first multi-messenger observation of a binary neutron star merger, providing insights into neutron star physics, gamma-ray bursts, and kilonovae. The collaboration involved numerous observatories and teams across the electromagnetic spectrum, confirming the connection between gravitational waves and electromagnetic signals. The event has significantly advanced our understanding of neutron star mergers and their role in the universe's heavy element synthesis.The 2017 August 17 binary neutron star merger (GW170817) was detected by the LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave detectors, followed by a gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) detected by Fermi-GBM. The source was localized to a sky region of 31 deg² at a luminosity distance of 40 ± 8 Mpc. The merger was confirmed to involve two neutron stars with masses between 0.86 and 2.26 solar masses. An optical transient (SSS17a, now AT 2017gfo) was discovered in NGC 4993 within 11 hours of the merger. The transient was detected by multiple teams and showed a blue, fading optical emission followed by a red evolution over 10 days. X-ray and radio emissions were detected 9 and 16 days after the merger, respectively, likely from different physical processes. No ultra-high-energy gamma rays or neutrinos were detected. These observations support the hypothesis that GW170817 was caused by the merger of two neutron stars in NGC 4993, followed by a short gamma-ray burst and a kilonova powered by the radioactive decay of r-process nuclei. The event marked the first multi-messenger observation of a binary neutron star merger, providing insights into neutron star physics, gamma-ray bursts, and kilonovae. The collaboration involved numerous observatories and teams across the electromagnetic spectrum, confirming the connection between gravitational waves and electromagnetic signals. The event has significantly advanced our understanding of neutron star mergers and their role in the universe's heavy element synthesis.
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