A kilonova as the electromagnetic counterpart to a gravitational-wave source

S J Smartt¹, T-W Chen², A Jerkstrand³, M Coughlin⁴, E Kankare¹, S A Sim¹, M Fraser⁵, C Inserra⁶, K Maguire¹, K C Chambers⁷, M E Huber⁷, T Krühler², G Leloudas⁸, M Magee¹, L J Shingles¹, K W Smith¹, D R Young¹, J Tonry⁷, R Kotak¹, A Gal-Yam⁹, J D Lyman¹⁰, D S Homan¹¹, C Agliozzo^{12

13}, J P Anderson¹⁴, C R Angus⁶, C Ashall¹⁵, C Barbarino¹⁶, F E Bauer^{13

17

18}, M Berton^{19

20}, M T Botticella²¹, M Bulla²², J Bulger⁷, G Cannizzaro^{23

24}, Z Cano²⁵, R Cartier⁶, A Cikota²⁶, P Clark¹, A De Cia²⁶, M Della Valle^{21

27}, L Denneau⁷, M Dennefeld²⁸, L Dessart²⁹, G Dimitriadis⁶, N Elias-Rosa³⁰, R E Firth⁶, H Flewelling⁷, A Flörs^{3

26

31}, A Franckowiak³², C Frohmaier³³, L Galbany³⁴, S González-Gaitán³⁵, J Greiner², M Gromadzki³⁶, A Nicuesa Guelbenzu³⁷, C P Gutiérrez⁶, A Hamanowicz^{26

36}, L Hanlon⁵, J Harmanen³⁸, K E Heintz^{8

39}, A Heinze⁷, M-S Hernandez⁴⁰, S T Hodgkin⁴¹, I M Hook⁴², L Izzo²⁵, P A James¹⁵, P G Jonker^{23

24}, W E Kerzendorf²⁶, S Klose³⁷, Z Kostrzewa-Rutkowska^{23

24}, M Kowalski^{32

43}, M Kromer^{44

45}, H Kuncarayakti^{38

46}, A Lawrence¹¹, T B Lowe⁷, E A Magnier⁷, I Manulis⁹, A Martin-Carrillo⁵, S Mattila³⁸, O McBrien¹, A Müller⁴⁷, J Nordin⁴³, D O'Neill¹, F Onori^{23

24}, J T Palmerio⁴⁸, A Pastorello⁴⁹, F Patat²⁶, G Pignata^{12

13}, Ph Podsiadlowski⁵⁰, M L Pumo^{49

51

52}, S J Prentice¹⁵, A Rau², A Razza^{14

53}, A Rest^{54

55}, T Reynolds³⁸, R Roy^{16

56}, A J Ruiter^{57

58

59}, K A Rybicki³⁶, L Salmon⁵, P Schady², A S B Schultz⁷, T Schweyer², I R Seitenzahl^{57

58}, M Smith⁶, J Sollerman¹⁶, B Stalder⁶⁰, C W Stubbs⁶¹, M Sullivan⁶, H Szegedi⁶², F Taddia¹⁶, S Taubenberger^{3

26}, G Terreran^{49

63}, B van Soelen⁶², J Vos⁴⁰, R J Wainscoat⁷, N A Walton⁴¹, C Waters⁷, H Weiland⁷, M Willman⁷, P Wiseman², D E Wright⁶⁴, Ł Wyrzykowski³⁶, O Yaron⁹

Affiliations

¹ Astrophysics Research Centre, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queens University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK.
² Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbach-Strasse 1, D-85748 Garching, Munich, Germany.
³ Max-Planck Institut für Astrophysik, Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 1, D-85748 Garching, Munich, Germany.
⁴ LIGO Laboratory West Bridge, Room 257 California Institute of Technology, MC 100-36, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.
⁵ School of Physics, O'Brien Centre for Science North, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
⁶ Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK.
⁷ Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA.
⁸ Dark Cosmology Centre, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Juliane Maries Vej 30, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
⁹ Department of Particle Physics and Astrophysics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
¹⁰ Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK.
¹¹ Institute for Astronomy, SUPA (Scottish Universities Physics Alliance), University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ, UK.
¹² Departamento de Ciencias Fisicas, Universidad Andres Bello, Avenida de Republica 252, Santiago, Chile.
¹³ Millennium Institute of Astrophysics (MAS), Nuncio Monseñor Sótero Sanz 100, Providencia, Santiago, Chile.
¹⁴ European Southern Observatory, Alonso de Córdova 3107, Casilla 19, Santiago, Chile.
¹⁵ Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, IC2, Liverpool Science Park, 146 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool L3 5RF, UK.
¹⁶ The Oskar Klein Centre, Department of Astronomy, Stockholm University, AlbaNova, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
¹⁷ Instituto de Astrofísica and Centro de Astroingeniería, Facultad de Física, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 306, Santiago 22, Chile.
¹⁸ Space Science Institute, 4750 Walnut Street, Suite 205, Boulder, Colorado 80301, USA.
¹⁹ Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia 'G. Galilei', Università di Padova, Vicolo dell'Osservatorio 3, 35122 Padova, Italy.
²⁰ INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, via E. Bianchi 46, 23807 Merate, Italy.
²¹ INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, via Salita Moiariello 16, 80131 Napoli, Italy.
²² The Oskar Klein Centre, Department of Physics, Stockholm University, AlbaNova, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
²³ SRON, Netherlands Institute for Space Research, Sorbonnelaan 2, NL-3584 CA Utrecht, The Netherlands.
²⁴ Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University, PO Box 9010, NL-6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
²⁵ Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC), Glorieta de la Astronomía, E-18008 Granada, Spain.
²⁶ European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild Strasse 2, 85748 Garching bei München, Germany.
²⁷ ICRANet-Pescara, Piazza della Repubblica 10, I-65122 Pescara, Italy.
²⁸ IAP/CNRS and University Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France.
²⁹ Unidad Mixta Internacional Franco-Chilena de Astronomía (CNRS UMI 3386), Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile, Camino El Observatorio 1515, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile.
³⁰ Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Viale del Parco Mellini 84, I-00136 Roma, Italy.
³¹ Physik-Department, Technische Universität München, James-Franck-Straße 1, 85748 Garching bei München, Germany.
³² Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron DESY, D-15738 Zeuthen, Germany.
³³ Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, Dennis Sciama Building, University of Portsmouth, Burnaby Road, Portsmouth PO1 3FX, UK.
³⁴ PITT PACC, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, USA.
³⁵ CENTRA, Instituto Superior Técnico - Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
³⁶ Warsaw University Astronomical Observatory, Aleje Ujazdowskie 4, 00-478 Warszawa, Poland.
³⁷ Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg, Sternwarte 5, 07778 Tautenburg, Germany.
³⁸ Tuorla observatory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Turku, Väisäläntie 20, FI-21500 Piikkiö, Finland.
³⁹ Centre for Astrophysics and Cosmology, Science Institute, University of Iceland, Dunhagi 5, 107 Reykjavík, Iceland.
⁴⁰ Instituto de Física y Astronomía, Universidad de Valparaiso, Gran Bretaña 1111, Playa Ancha, Valparaíso 2360102, Chile.
⁴¹ Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, UK.
⁴² Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB, UK.
⁴³ Institut fur Physik, Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin, Newtonstrasse 15, D-12489 Berlin, Germany.
⁴⁴ Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg, Institut für Theoretische Astrophysik, Philosophenweg 12, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
⁴⁵ Heidelberger Institut für Theoretische Studien, Schloss-Wolfsbrunnenweg 35, 69118 Heidelberg, Germany.
⁴⁶ Finnish Centre for Astronomy with ESO (FINCA), University of Turku, Väisäläntie 20, 21500 Piikkiö, Finland.
⁴⁷ Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
⁴⁸ Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 6 and CNRS, UMR 7095, Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, 98 bis boulevard Arago, 75014 Paris, France.
⁴⁹ INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Vicolo dell'Osservatorio 5, 35122 Padova, Italy.
⁵⁰ Department of Astrophysics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RH, UK.
⁵¹ Università degli studi di Catania, DFA DIEEI, Via Santa Sofia 64, 95123 Catania, Italy.
⁵² INFN-Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Via Santa Sofia 62, 95123 Catania, Italy.
⁵³ Department of Astronomy, Universidad de Chile, Camino El Observatorio 1515, Las Condes, Santiago de Chile, Chile.
⁵⁴ Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA.
⁵⁵ Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA.
⁵⁶ Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune 411007, India.
⁵⁷ School of Physical, Environmental, and Mathematical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600, Australia.
⁵⁸ Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2611, Australia.
⁵⁹ ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics (CAASTRO).
⁶⁰ LSST, 950 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, Arizona 85719, USA.
⁶¹ Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
⁶² Department of Physics, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa.
⁶³ Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
⁶⁴ School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, 116 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0149, USA.

PMID: 29094693
DOI: 10.1038/nature24303

A kilonova as the electromagnetic counterpart to a gravitational-wave source

S J Smartt et al. Nature. 2017.

. 2017 Nov 2;551(7678):75-79.

doi: 10.1038/nature24303. Epub 2017 Oct 16.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Astrophysics Research Centre, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queens University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK.
² Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbach-Strasse 1, D-85748 Garching, Munich, Germany.
³ Max-Planck Institut für Astrophysik, Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 1, D-85748 Garching, Munich, Germany.
⁴ LIGO Laboratory West Bridge, Room 257 California Institute of Technology, MC 100-36, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.
⁵ School of Physics, O'Brien Centre for Science North, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
⁶ Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK.
⁷ Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA.
⁸ Dark Cosmology Centre, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Juliane Maries Vej 30, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
⁹ Department of Particle Physics and Astrophysics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
¹⁰ Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK.
¹¹ Institute for Astronomy, SUPA (Scottish Universities Physics Alliance), University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ, UK.
¹² Departamento de Ciencias Fisicas, Universidad Andres Bello, Avenida de Republica 252, Santiago, Chile.
¹³ Millennium Institute of Astrophysics (MAS), Nuncio Monseñor Sótero Sanz 100, Providencia, Santiago, Chile.
¹⁴ European Southern Observatory, Alonso de Córdova 3107, Casilla 19, Santiago, Chile.
¹⁵ Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, IC2, Liverpool Science Park, 146 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool L3 5RF, UK.
¹⁶ The Oskar Klein Centre, Department of Astronomy, Stockholm University, AlbaNova, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
¹⁷ Instituto de Astrofísica and Centro de Astroingeniería, Facultad de Física, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 306, Santiago 22, Chile.
¹⁸ Space Science Institute, 4750 Walnut Street, Suite 205, Boulder, Colorado 80301, USA.
¹⁹ Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia 'G. Galilei', Università di Padova, Vicolo dell'Osservatorio 3, 35122 Padova, Italy.
²⁰ INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, via E. Bianchi 46, 23807 Merate, Italy.
²¹ INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, via Salita Moiariello 16, 80131 Napoli, Italy.
²² The Oskar Klein Centre, Department of Physics, Stockholm University, AlbaNova, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
²³ SRON, Netherlands Institute for Space Research, Sorbonnelaan 2, NL-3584 CA Utrecht, The Netherlands.
²⁴ Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University, PO Box 9010, NL-6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
²⁵ Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC), Glorieta de la Astronomía, E-18008 Granada, Spain.
²⁶ European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild Strasse 2, 85748 Garching bei München, Germany.
²⁷ ICRANet-Pescara, Piazza della Repubblica 10, I-65122 Pescara, Italy.
²⁸ IAP/CNRS and University Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France.
²⁹ Unidad Mixta Internacional Franco-Chilena de Astronomía (CNRS UMI 3386), Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile, Camino El Observatorio 1515, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile.
³⁰ Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Viale del Parco Mellini 84, I-00136 Roma, Italy.
³¹ Physik-Department, Technische Universität München, James-Franck-Straße 1, 85748 Garching bei München, Germany.
³² Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron DESY, D-15738 Zeuthen, Germany.
³³ Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, Dennis Sciama Building, University of Portsmouth, Burnaby Road, Portsmouth PO1 3FX, UK.
³⁴ PITT PACC, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, USA.
³⁵ CENTRA, Instituto Superior Técnico - Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
³⁶ Warsaw University Astronomical Observatory, Aleje Ujazdowskie 4, 00-478 Warszawa, Poland.
³⁷ Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg, Sternwarte 5, 07778 Tautenburg, Germany.
³⁸ Tuorla observatory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Turku, Väisäläntie 20, FI-21500 Piikkiö, Finland.
³⁹ Centre for Astrophysics and Cosmology, Science Institute, University of Iceland, Dunhagi 5, 107 Reykjavík, Iceland.
⁴⁰ Instituto de Física y Astronomía, Universidad de Valparaiso, Gran Bretaña 1111, Playa Ancha, Valparaíso 2360102, Chile.
⁴¹ Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, UK.
⁴² Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB, UK.
⁴³ Institut fur Physik, Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin, Newtonstrasse 15, D-12489 Berlin, Germany.
⁴⁴ Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg, Institut für Theoretische Astrophysik, Philosophenweg 12, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
⁴⁵ Heidelberger Institut für Theoretische Studien, Schloss-Wolfsbrunnenweg 35, 69118 Heidelberg, Germany.
⁴⁶ Finnish Centre for Astronomy with ESO (FINCA), University of Turku, Väisäläntie 20, 21500 Piikkiö, Finland.
⁴⁷ Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
⁴⁸ Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 6 and CNRS, UMR 7095, Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, 98 bis boulevard Arago, 75014 Paris, France.
⁴⁹ INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Vicolo dell'Osservatorio 5, 35122 Padova, Italy.
⁵⁰ Department of Astrophysics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RH, UK.
⁵¹ Università degli studi di Catania, DFA DIEEI, Via Santa Sofia 64, 95123 Catania, Italy.
⁵² INFN-Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Via Santa Sofia 62, 95123 Catania, Italy.
⁵³ Department of Astronomy, Universidad de Chile, Camino El Observatorio 1515, Las Condes, Santiago de Chile, Chile.
⁵⁴ Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA.
⁵⁵ Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA.
⁵⁶ Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune 411007, India.
⁵⁷ School of Physical, Environmental, and Mathematical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600, Australia.
⁵⁸ Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2611, Australia.
⁵⁹ ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics (CAASTRO).
⁶⁰ LSST, 950 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, Arizona 85719, USA.
⁶¹ Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
⁶² Department of Physics, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa.
⁶³ Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
⁶⁴ School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, 116 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0149, USA.

PMID: 29094693
DOI: 10.1038/nature24303

Abstract

Gravitational waves were discovered with the detection of binary black-hole mergers and they should also be detectable from lower-mass neutron-star mergers. These are predicted to eject material rich in heavy radioactive isotopes that can power an electromagnetic signal. This signal is luminous at optical and infrared wavelengths and is called a kilonova. The gravitational-wave source GW170817 arose from a binary neutron-star merger in the nearby Universe with a relatively well confined sky position and distance estimate. Here we report observations and physical modelling of a rapidly fading electromagnetic transient in the galaxy NGC 4993, which is spatially coincident with GW170817 and with a weak, short γ-ray burst. The transient has physical parameters that broadly match the theoretical predictions of blue kilonovae from neutron-star mergers. The emitted electromagnetic radiation can be explained with an ejected mass of 0.04 ± 0.01 solar masses, with an opacity of less than 0.5 square centimetres per gram, at a velocity of 0.2 ± 0.1 times light speed. The power source is constrained to have a power-law slope of -1.2 ± 0.3, consistent with radioactive powering from r-process nuclides. (The r-process is a series of neutron capture reactions that synthesise many of the elements heavier than iron.) We identify line features in the spectra that are consistent with light r-process elements (atomic masses of 90-140). As it fades, the transient rapidly becomes red, and a higher-opacity, lanthanide-rich ejecta component may contribute to the emission. This indicates that neutron-star mergers produce gravitational waves and radioactively powered kilonovae, and are a nucleosynthetic source of the r-process elements.

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References

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A kilonova as the electromagnetic counterpart to a gravitational-wave source

Affiliations

A kilonova as the electromagnetic counterpart to a gravitational-wave source

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

References

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Other Literature Sources

Research Materials