Kasliwal, MM;
Kuin, NPM;
Emery, SWK;
(2017)
Illuminating Gravitational Waves: A Concordant Picture of Photons from a Neutron Star Merger.
Science
, Article eaap9455. 10.1126/science.aap9455.
(In press).
Preview |
Text
Mansi_ms_si_synthesis_FINAL.pdf - Accepted Version Download (4MB) | Preview |
Abstract
Merging neutron stars offer an exquisite laboratory for simultaneously studying strong-field gravity and matter in extreme environments. We establish the physical association of an electromagnetic counterpart (EM170817) to gravitational waves (GW170817) detected from merging neutron stars. By synthesizing a panchromatic dataset, we demonstrate that merging neutron stars are a long-sought production site forging heavy elements by r-process nucleosynthesis. The weak gamma-rays seen in EM170817 are dissimilar to classical short gamma-ray bursts with ultra-relativistic jets. Instead, we suggest that breakout of a wide-angle, mildly-relativistic cocoon engulfing the jet elegantly explains the low-luminosity gamma-rays, the high-luminosity ultraviolet-optical-infrared and the delayed radio/x-ray emission. We posit that all merging neutron stars may lead to a wide-angle cocoon breakout; sometimes accompanied by a successful jet and sometimes a choked jet.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Illuminating Gravitational Waves: A Concordant Picture of Photons from a Neutron Star Merger |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1126/science.aap9455 |
| Publisher version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.aap9455 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Space and Climate Physics |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10025005 |
Archive Staff Only
 |
View Item |
