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The emergence of a lanthanide-rich kilonova following the merger of two neutron stars
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(2017) The emergence of a lanthanide-rich kilonova following the merger of two neutron stars. Astrophysical Journal, 848 (2). L27. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aa90b6
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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aa90b6
Abstract
We report the discovery and monitoring of the near-infrared counterpart (AT2017gfo) of a binary neutron-star merger event detected as a gravitational wave source by Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO)/Virgo (GW170817) and as a short gamma-ray burst by Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) and Integral SPI-ACS (GRB 170817A). The evolution of the transient light is consistent with predictions for the behavior of a "kilonova/macronova" powered by the radioactive decay of massive neutron-rich nuclides created via r-process nucleosynthesis in the neutron-star ejecta. In particular, evidence for this scenario is found from broad features seen in Hubble Space Telescope infrared spectroscopy, similar to those predicted for lanthanide-dominated ejecta, and the much slower evolution in the near-infrared ${K}_{{\rm{s}}}$-band compared to the optical. This indicates that the late-time light is dominated by high-opacity lanthanide-rich ejecta, suggesting nucleosynthesis to the third r-process peak (atomic masses $A\approx 195$). This discovery confirms that neutron-star mergers produce kilo-/macronovae and that they are at least a major—if not the dominant—site of rapid neutron capture nucleosynthesis in the universe.
| Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subjects: | Q Science > QC Physics | ||||||
| Divisions: | Faculty of Science > Physics | ||||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | Astrophysical Journal | ||||||
| Publisher: | IOP Publishing | ||||||
| ISSN: | 0004-637X | ||||||
| Official Date: | 16 October 2017 | ||||||
| Dates: |
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| Volume: | 848 | ||||||
| Number: | 2 | ||||||
| Article Number: | L27 | ||||||
| DOI: | 10.3847/2041-8213/aa90b6 | ||||||
| Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||||
| Publication Status: | Published | ||||||
| Access rights to Published version: | Open Access |
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