Evans, PA;
Cenko, SB;
Kennea, JA;
Emery, SWK;
Kuin, NPM;
Korobkin, O;
Wollaeger, RT;
... Tohuvavohu, A; + view all
(2017)
Swift and NuSTAR observations of GW170817: Detection of a blue kilonova.
Science
10.1126/science.aap9580.
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Swift_Nustar_ms_arXiv.pdf - Accepted Version Available under License : See the attached licence file. Download (1MB) |
Abstract
With the first direct detection of merging black holes in 2015, the era of gravitational wave (GW) astrophysics began. A complete picture of compact object mergers, however, requires the detection of an electromagnetic (EM) counterpart. We report ultraviolet (UV) and x-ray observations by Swift and the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope ARray (NuSTAR) of the EM counterpart of the binary neutron star merger GW 170817. The bright, rapidly fading ultraviolet emission indicates a high mass (≈ 0.03 solar masses) wind-driven outflow with moderate electron fraction (Ye ≈ 0.27). Combined with the x-ray limits, we favor an observer viewing angle of ≈30° away from the orbital rotation axis, which avoids both obscuration from the heaviest elements in the orbital plane and a direct view of any ultra-relativistic, highly collimated ejecta (a γ-ray burst afterglow).
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Swift and NuSTAR observations of GW170817: Detection of a blue kilonova |
| Location: | United States |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1126/science.aap9580 |
| Publisher version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.aap9580 |
| 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/10025009 |
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