Compact radio emission indicates a structured jet was produced by a binary neutron star merger
Journal
Date Issued
2019
Author(s)
•
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Paragi, Z.
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•
Yang, J.
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Marcote, B.
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Blanchard, J.
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Agudo, I.
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An, T.
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•
Beswick, R.
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Branchesi, M.
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•
Casadio, C.
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Chassande-Mottin, E.
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Colpi, M.
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•
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D'Elia, V.
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Frey, S.
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Gawronski, M.
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Gurvits, L. I.
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Jonker, P. G.
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van Langevelde, H. J.
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Moldon, J.
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Perego, A.
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Perez-Torres, M. A.
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Reynolds, C.
•
•
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Vergani, S. D.
•
Zhang, M.
Abstract
The binary neutron star merger event GW170817 was detected through both electromagnetic radiation and gravitational waves. Its afterglow emission may have been produced by either a narrow relativistic jet or an isotropic outflow. High-spatial-resolution measurements of the source size and displacement can discriminate between these scenarios. We present very-long-baseline interferometry observations, performed 207.4 days after the merger by using a global network of 32 radio telescopes. The apparent source size is constrained to be smaller than 2.5 milli-arc seconds at the 90% confidence level. This excludes the isotropic outflow scenario, which would have produced a larger apparent size, indicating that GW170817 produced a structured relativistic jet. Our rate calculations show that at least 10% of neutron star mergers produce such a jet.
Volume
363
Issue
6430
Start page
968
Issn Identifier
0036-8075
Ads BibCode
2019Sci...363..968G
Rights
open.access
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