1. Swift and NuSTAR observations of GW170817: Detection of a blue kilonova.
- Author
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Evans PA, Cenko SB, Kennea JA, Emery SWK, Kuin NPM, Korobkin O, Wollaeger RT, Fryer CL, Madsen KK, Harrison FA, Xu Y, Nakar E, Hotokezaka K, Lien A, Campana S, Oates SR, Troja E, Breeveld AA, Marshall FE, Barthelmy SD, Beardmore AP, Burrows DN, Cusumano G, D'Aì A, D'Avanzo P, D'Elia V, de Pasquale M, Even WP, Fontes CJ, Forster K, Garcia J, Giommi P, Grefenstette B, Gronwall C, Hartmann DH, Heida M, Hungerford AL, Kasliwal MM, Krimm HA, Levan AJ, Malesani D, Melandri A, Miyasaka H, Nousek JA, O'Brien PT, Osborne JP, Pagani C, Page KL, Palmer DM, Perri M, Pike S, Racusin JL, Rosswog S, Siegel MH, Sakamoto T, Sbarufatti B, Tagliaferri G, Tanvir NR, and Tohuvavohu A
- 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 of the EM counterpart of the binary neutron star merger GW170817. The bright, rapidly fading UV emission indicates a high mass (≈0.03 solar masses) wind-driven outflow with moderate electron fraction ( Y
e ≈ 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 ultrarelativistic, highly collimated ejecta (a γ-ray burst afterglow)., (Copyright © 2017, American Association for the Advancement of Science.)- Published
- 2017
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