Skip to content Skip to navigation
University of Warwick
  • Study
  • |
  • Research
  • |
  • Business
  • |
  • Alumni
  • |
  • News
  • |
  • About

University of Warwick
Publications service & WRAP

Highlight your research

  • WRAP
    • Home
    • Search WRAP
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse WRAP by Year
    • Browse WRAP by Subject
    • Browse WRAP by Department
    • Browse WRAP by Funder
    • Browse Theses by Department
  • Publications Service
    • Home
    • Search Publications Service
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse Publications service by Year
    • Browse Publications service by Subject
    • Browse Publications service by Department
    • Browse Publications service by Funder
  • Help & Advice
University of Warwick

The Library

  • Login
  • Admin

The optical afterglow of the short gamma-ray burst associated with GW170817

Tools
- Tools
+ Tools

Lyman, J. D., Lamb, G. P., Levan, Andrew J., Mandel, I., Tanvir, N. R., Kobayashi, S., Gompertz, Benjamin P., Hjorth, J., Fruchter, A. S., Kangas, T. et al.
(2018) The optical afterglow of the short gamma-ray burst associated with GW170817. Nature Astronomy, 2 . 751-754 . doi:10.1038/s41550-018-0511-3

[img]
Preview
PDF
WRAP-optical-afterglow-short-gamma-ray-burst-Lyman-2018.pdf - Accepted Version - Requires a PDF viewer.

Download (1873Kb) | Preview
Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-018-0511-3

Request Changes to record.

Abstract

The binary neutron star merger GW170817 was the first multi-messenger event observed in both gravitational and electromagnetic waves. The electromagnetic signal began approximately two seconds post-merger with a weak, short burst of gamma rays, which was followed over the next hours and days by the ultraviolet, optical and near-infrared emission from a radioactively powered kilonova. Later, non-thermal rising X-ray and radio emission was observed. The low luminosity of the gamma rays and the rising non-thermal flux from the source at late times could indicate that we are outside the opening angle of the beamed relativistic jet. Alternatively, the emission could be arising from a cocoon of material formed from the interaction between a jet and the merger ejecta. Here we present late-time optical detections and deep near-infrared limits on the emission from GW170817 at 110 days post-merger. Our new observations are at odds with expectations of late-time emission from kilonova models, being too bright and blue. Instead, the emission arises from the interaction between the relativistic ejecta of GW170817 and the interstellar medium. We show that this emission matches the expectations of a Gaussian-structured relativistic jet, which would have launched a high-luminosity, short gamma-ray burst to an aligned observer. However, other jet structure or cocoon models can also match current data — the future evolution of the afterglow will directly distinguish the origin of the emission.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: Q Science > QB Astronomy
Divisions: Faculty of Science > Physics
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Neutron stars, Gamma ray bursts, Electromagnetic waves
Journal or Publication Title: Nature Astronomy
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
ISSN: 2397-3366
Official Date: 2 July 2018
Dates:
DateEvent
2 July 2018Available
4 June 2018Accepted
Volume: 2
Page Range: 751-754
DOI: 10.1038/s41550-018-0511-3
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Access rights to Published version: Restricted or Subscription Access
RIOXX Funder/Project Grant:
Project/Grant IDRIOXX Funder NameFunder ID
NAS 5-26555[NASA] National Aeronautics and Space Administrationhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100000104
725246H2020 European Research Councilhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100010663
ST/P000495/1[STFC] Science and Technology Facilities Councilhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000271
UNSPECIFIEDRussian Academy of Scienceshttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100002674
UNSPECIFIEDInternational Astronomical Unionhttp://viaf.org/viaf/153155943
16599Villum Fondenhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100008398
UNSPECIFIEDDanmarks Grundforskningsfondhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001732
UNSPECIFIEDAdUPUNSPECIFIED
AYA 2014-58381-P[MINECO] Ministerio de Economía y Competitividadhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100003329
IJCI-2014-21669Juan de la Cierva-incorporaciónUNSPECIFIED
2017R1A3A3001362NRFKUNSPECIFIED
2016- 03657 3Vetenskapsrådethttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100004359
2016-06012VetenskapsrådetUNSPECIFIED
107/16Swedish National Space Boardhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001859
UNSPECIFIEDUK Space Agencyhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100011690
DFF 7014-00017Styrelsen for Forskning og InnovationUNSPECIFIED
Related URLs:
  • Publisher
Open Access Version:
  • ArXiv

Request changes or add full text files to a record

Repository staff actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics

twitter

Email us: wrap@warwick.ac.uk
Contact Details
About Us