The X-ray counterpart to the gravitational-wave event GW170817

Journal
Date Issued
2017
Author(s)
Troja, E.
•
•
van Eerten, H.
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Wollaeger, R. T.
•
Im, M.
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Fox, O. D.
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Butler, N. R.
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Cenko, S. B.
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Sakamoto, T.
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Fryer, C. L.
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•
Lien, A.
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Ryan, R. E.
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Korobkin, O.
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Lee, S. -K.
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Burgess, J. M.
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Lee, W. H.
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Watson, A. M.
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Choi, C.
•
•
•
Fontes, C. J.
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González, J. Becerra
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Khandrika, H. G.
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Kim, J.
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Kim, S. -L.
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Lee, C. -U.
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Lee, H. M.
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Kutyrev, A.
•
Lim, G.
•
Sánchez-Ramírez, R.
•
Veilleux, S.
•
Wieringa, M. H.
•
Yoon, Y.
DOI
Abstract
A long-standing paradigm in astrophysics is that collisions—or mergers—of two neutron stars form highly relativistic and collimated outflows (jets) that power γ-ray bursts of short (less than two seconds) duration. The observational support for this model, however, is only indirect. A hitherto outstanding prediction is that gravitational-wave events from such mergers should be associated with γ-ray bursts, and that a majority of these bursts should be seen off-axis, that is, they should point away from Earth. Here we report the discovery observations of the X-ray counterpart associated with the gravitational-wave event GW170817. Although the electromagnetic counterpart at optical and infrared frequencies is dominated by the radioactive glow (known as a ‘kilonova’) from freshly synthesized rapid neutron capture (r-process) material in the merger ejecta, observations at X-ray and, later, radio frequencies are consistent with a short γ-ray burst viewed off-axis. Our detection of X-ray emission at a location coincident with the kilonova transient provides the missing observational link between short γ-ray bursts and gravitational waves from neutron-star mergers, and gives independent confirmation of the collimated nature of the γ-ray-burst emission.
Funding(s)
Volume
551
Issue
7678
Start page
71
Uri
Url
Issn Identifier
0028-0836
Ads BibCode
2017Natur.551...71T
Rights
open.access
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