Swift and NuSTAR observations of GW170817: Detection of a blue kilonova

P. A. Evans; S. B. Cenko; J. A. Kennea; S. W.K. Emery; N. P.M. Kuin; O. Korobkin; R. T. Wollaeger; C. L. Fryer; K. K. Madsen; F. A. Harrison; Y. Xu; E. Nakar; K. Hotokezaka; A. Lien; S. Campana; S. R. Oates; E. Troja; A. A. Breeveld; F. E. Marshall; S. D. Barthelmy; A. P. Beardmore; D. N. Burrows; G. Cusumano; A. D’Aì; P. D’Avanzo; V. D’Elia; M. De Pasquale; W. P. Even; C. J. Fontes; K. Forster; J. Garcia; P. Giommi; B. Grefenstette; C. Gronwall; D. H. Hartmann; M. Heida; A. L. Hungerford; M. M. Kasliwal; H. A. Krimm; A. J. Levan; D. Malesani; A. Melandri; H. Miyasaka; J. A. Nousek; P. T. O’Brien; J. P. Osborne; C. Pagani; K. L. Page; D. M. Palmer; M. Perri; S. Pike; J. L. Racusin; S. Rosswog; M. H. Siegel; T. Sakamoto; B. Sbarufatti; G. Tagliaferri; N. R. Tanvir; A. Tohuvavohu

doi:10.1126/science.aap9580

Swift and NuSTAR observations of GW170817: Detection of a blue kilonova

P. A. Evans
, S. B. Cenko
, J. A. Kennea
, S. W.K. Emery
, N. P.M. Kuin
, O. Korobkin
, R. T. Wollaeger
, C. L. Fryer
, K. K. Madsen
, F. A. Harrison
, Y. Xu
, E. Nakar
, K. Hotokezaka
, A. Lien
, S. Campana
, S. R. Oates
, E. Troja
, A. A. Breeveld
, F. E. Marshall
, S. D. Barthelmy

A. P. Beardmore, D. N. Burrows, G. Cusumano, A. D’Aì, P. D’Avanzo, V. D’Elia, M. De Pasquale, W. P. Even, C. J. Fontes, K. Forster, J. Garcia, P. Giommi, B. Grefenstette, C. Gronwall, D. H. Hartmann, M. Heida, A. L. Hungerford, M. M. Kasliwal, H. A. Krimm, A. J. Levan, D. Malesani, A. Melandri, H. Miyasaka, J. A. Nousek, P. T. O’Brien, J. P. Osborne, C. Pagani, K. L. Page, D. M. Palmer, M. Perri, S. Pike, J. L. Racusin, S. Rosswog, M. H. Siegel, T. Sakamoto, B. Sbarufatti, G. Tagliaferri, N. R. Tanvir, A. Tohuvavohu

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

497 Scopus citations

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 counter part 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 g-ray burst afterglow).

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1565-1570
Number of pages	6
Journal	Science
Volume	358
Issue number	6370
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aap9580
State	Published - Dec 22 2017

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10.1126/science.aap9580

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Evans, P. A., Cenko, S. B., Kennea, J. A., Emery, S. W. K., Kuin, N. P. M., Korobkin, O., Wollaeger, R. T., Fryer, C. L., Madsen, K. K., Harrison, F. A., Xu, Y., Nakar, E., Hotokezaka, K., Lien, A., Campana, S., Oates, S. R., Troja, E., Breeveld, A. A., Marshall, F. E., ... Tohuvavohu, A. (2017). Swift and NuSTAR observations of GW170817: Detection of a blue kilonova. Science, 358(6370), 1565-1570. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aap9580

@article{68551302e96944cf844d41b5c86d3789,

title = "Swift and NuSTAR observations of GW170817: Detection of a blue kilonova",

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 counter part 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 (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 ultrarelativistic, highly collimated ejecta (a g-ray burst afterglow).",

author = "Evans, \{P. A.\} and Cenko, \{S. B.\} and Kennea, \{J. A.\} and Emery, \{S. W.K.\} and Kuin, \{N. P.M.\} and O. Korobkin and Wollaeger, \{R. T.\} and Fryer, \{C. L.\} and Madsen, \{K. K.\} and Harrison, \{F. A.\} and Y. Xu and E. Nakar and K. Hotokezaka and A. Lien and S. Campana and Oates, \{S. R.\} and E. Troja and Breeveld, \{A. A.\} and Marshall, \{F. E.\} and Barthelmy, \{S. D.\} and Beardmore, \{A. P.\} and Burrows, \{D. N.\} and G. Cusumano and A. D{\textquoteright}A{\`i} and P. D{\textquoteright}Avanzo and V. D{\textquoteright}Elia and \{De Pasquale\}, M. and Even, \{W. P.\} and Fontes, \{C. J.\} and K. Forster and J. Garcia and P. Giommi and B. Grefenstette and C. Gronwall and Hartmann, \{D. H.\} and M. Heida and Hungerford, \{A. L.\} and Kasliwal, \{M. M.\} and Krimm, \{H. A.\} and Levan, \{A. J.\} and D. Malesani and A. Melandri and H. Miyasaka and Nousek, \{J. A.\} and O{\textquoteright}Brien, \{P. T.\} and Osborne, \{J. P.\} and C. Pagani and Page, \{K. L.\} and Palmer, \{D. M.\} and M. Perri and S. Pike and Racusin, \{J. L.\} and S. Rosswog and Siegel, \{M. H.\} and T. Sakamoto and B. Sbarufatti and G. Tagliaferri and Tanvir, \{N. R.\} and A. Tohuvavohu",

note = "Funding Information: We acknowledge the leadership and scientific vision of Neil Gehrels (1952–2017), former principal investigator of Swift, without whom the work we present here would not have been possible. Funding for the Swift mission in the United Kingdom is provided by the UK Space Agency. S.R.O. gratefully acknowledges the support of the Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship. The Swift team at the Mission Operations Center at The Pennsylvania State University acknowledges support from NASA contract NAS5-00136. The Italian Swift team acknowledges support from ASI-INAF grant I/004/11/3. S.R. has been supported by the Swedish Research Council (VR) under grant 2016-03657\_3, by the Swedish National Space Board under grant Dnr. 107/16, and by the research environment grant “Gravitational Radiation and Electromagnetic Astrophysical Transients (GREAT)” funded by the Swedish Research council (VR) under grant Dnr 2016-06012. This research used resources provided by the Los Alamos National Laboratory Institutional Computing Program, which is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC52-06NA25396. Very Large Telescope data were obtained under European Southern Observatory program number 099.D-0668. NuSTAR acknowledges funding from NASA contract NNG08FD60C. A.J.L. and N.R.T. acknowledge funding from the European Research Council under the European Union{\textquoteright}s Horizon 2020 program, grant 725246. Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory were supported by the National Nuclear Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy under contract DE-AC52-06NA25396. S.W.K.E. is supported by a Science and Technology Facilities Council studentship. The observations are archived at www.swift.ac.uk for Swift and https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/nustar/nustar\_archive.html for NuSTAR, under the observation IDs given in table S2. Reduced photometry and surveyed areas are tabulated in the supplementary materials. The BOXFIT software is available at http://cosmo.nyu.edu/ afterglowlibrary/boxfit2011.html, SUPERNU at https://bitbucket.org/ drrossum/supernu/wiki/Home, and access to WINNET source code and input files will be granted upon request via https://bitbucket.org/ korobkin/winnet. The dynamical model ejecta are available at http:// compact-merger.astro.su.se/downloads\_fluid\_trajectories.html (as run 12). The SUPERNU and BOXFIT input files are available in the supplementary materials. Funding Information: We acknowledge the leadership and scientific vision of Neil Gehrels (1952?2017), former principal investigator of Swift, without whom the work we present here would not have been possible. Funding for the Swift mission in the United Kingdom is provided by the UK Space Agency. S.R.O. gratefully acknowledges the support of the Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship. The Swift team at the Mission Operations Center at The Pennsylvania State University acknowledges support from NASA contract NAS5-00136. The Italian Swift team acknowledges support from ASI-INAF grant I/004/11/3. S.R. has been supported by the Swedish Research Council (VR) under grant 2016- 03657\_3, by the Swedish National Space Board under grant Dnr. 107/16, and by the research environment grant ?Gravitational Radiation and Electromagnetic Astrophysical Transients (GREAT)? funded by the Swedish Research council (VR) under grant Dnr 2016- 06012. This research used resources provided by the Los Alamos National Laboratory Institutional Computing Program, which is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC52-06NA25396. Very Large Telescope data were obtained under European Southern Observatory program number 099.D-0668. NuSTAR acknowledges funding from NASA contract NNG08FD60C. A.J.L. and N.R.T. acknowledge funding from the European Research Council under the European Union?s Horizon 2020 program, grant 725246. Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory were supported by the National Nuclear Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy under contract DE-AC52-06NA25396. S.W.K.E. is supported by a Science and Technology Facilities Council studentship. The observations are archived at www.swift.ac.uk for Swift and https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/nustar/nustar\_archive.html for NuSTAR, under the observation IDs given in table S2. Reduced photometry and surveyed areas are tabulated in the supplementary materials. The BOXFIT software is available at http://cosmo.nyu.edu/afterglowlibrary/boxfit2011.html, SUPERNU at https://bitbucket.org/drrossum/supernu/wiki/Home, and access to WINNET source code and input files will be granted upon request via https://bitbucket.org/korobkin/winnet. The dynamical model ejecta are available at http://compact-merger.astro.su.se/downloads\_fluid\_trajectories.html (as run 12). The SUPERNU and BOXFIT input files are available in the supplementary materials.",

year = "2017",

month = dec,

day = "22",

doi = "10.1126/science.aap9580",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "358",

pages = "1565--1570",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",

number = "6370",

}

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 & Tohuvavohu, A 2017, 'Swift and NuSTAR observations of GW170817: Detection of a blue kilonova', Science, vol. 358, no. 6370, pp. 1565-1570. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aap9580

TY - JOUR

T1 - Swift and NuSTAR observations of GW170817

T2 - Detection of a blue kilonova

AU - Evans, P. A.

AU - Cenko, S. B.

AU - Kennea, J. A.

AU - Emery, S. W.K.

AU - Kuin, N. P.M.

AU - Korobkin, O.

AU - Wollaeger, R. T.

AU - Fryer, C. L.

AU - Madsen, K. K.

AU - Harrison, F. A.

AU - Xu, Y.

AU - Nakar, E.

AU - Hotokezaka, K.

AU - Lien, A.

AU - Campana, S.

AU - Oates, S. R.

AU - Troja, E.

AU - Breeveld, A. A.

AU - Marshall, F. E.

AU - Barthelmy, S. D.

AU - Beardmore, A. P.

AU - Burrows, D. N.

AU - Cusumano, G.

AU - D’Aì, A.

AU - D’Avanzo, P.

AU - D’Elia, V.

AU - De Pasquale, M.

AU - Even, W. P.

AU - Fontes, C. J.

AU - Forster, K.

AU - Garcia, J.

AU - Giommi, P.

AU - Grefenstette, B.

AU - Gronwall, C.

AU - Hartmann, D. H.

AU - Heida, M.

AU - Hungerford, A. L.

AU - Kasliwal, M. M.

AU - Krimm, H. A.

AU - Levan, A. J.

AU - Malesani, D.

AU - Melandri, A.

AU - Miyasaka, H.

AU - Nousek, J. A.

AU - O’Brien, P. T.

AU - Osborne, J. P.

AU - Pagani, C.

AU - Page, K. L.

AU - Palmer, D. M.

AU - Perri, M.

AU - Pike, S.

AU - Racusin, J. L.

AU - Rosswog, S.

AU - Siegel, M. H.

AU - Sakamoto, T.

AU - Sbarufatti, B.

AU - Tagliaferri, G.

AU - Tanvir, N. R.

AU - Tohuvavohu, A.

N1 - Funding Information: We acknowledge the leadership and scientific vision of Neil Gehrels (1952–2017), former principal investigator of Swift, without whom the work we present here would not have been possible. Funding for the Swift mission in the United Kingdom is provided by the UK Space Agency. S.R.O. gratefully acknowledges the support of the Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship. The Swift team at the Mission Operations Center at The Pennsylvania State University acknowledges support from NASA contract NAS5-00136. The Italian Swift team acknowledges support from ASI-INAF grant I/004/11/3. S.R. has been supported by the Swedish Research Council (VR) under grant 2016-03657_3, by the Swedish National Space Board under grant Dnr. 107/16, and by the research environment grant “Gravitational Radiation and Electromagnetic Astrophysical Transients (GREAT)” funded by the Swedish Research council (VR) under grant Dnr 2016-06012. This research used resources provided by the Los Alamos National Laboratory Institutional Computing Program, which is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC52-06NA25396. Very Large Telescope data were obtained under European Southern Observatory program number 099.D-0668. NuSTAR acknowledges funding from NASA contract NNG08FD60C. A.J.L. and N.R.T. acknowledge funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program, grant 725246. Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory were supported by the National Nuclear Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy under contract DE-AC52-06NA25396. S.W.K.E. is supported by a Science and Technology Facilities Council studentship. The observations are archived at www.swift.ac.uk for Swift and https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/nustar/nustar_archive.html for NuSTAR, under the observation IDs given in table S2. Reduced photometry and surveyed areas are tabulated in the supplementary materials. The BOXFIT software is available at http://cosmo.nyu.edu/ afterglowlibrary/boxfit2011.html, SUPERNU at https://bitbucket.org/ drrossum/supernu/wiki/Home, and access to WINNET source code and input files will be granted upon request via https://bitbucket.org/ korobkin/winnet. The dynamical model ejecta are available at http:// compact-merger.astro.su.se/downloads_fluid_trajectories.html (as run 12). The SUPERNU and BOXFIT input files are available in the supplementary materials. Funding Information: We acknowledge the leadership and scientific vision of Neil Gehrels (1952?2017), former principal investigator of Swift, without whom the work we present here would not have been possible. Funding for the Swift mission in the United Kingdom is provided by the UK Space Agency. S.R.O. gratefully acknowledges the support of the Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship. The Swift team at the Mission Operations Center at The Pennsylvania State University acknowledges support from NASA contract NAS5-00136. The Italian Swift team acknowledges support from ASI-INAF grant I/004/11/3. S.R. has been supported by the Swedish Research Council (VR) under grant 2016- 03657_3, by the Swedish National Space Board under grant Dnr. 107/16, and by the research environment grant ?Gravitational Radiation and Electromagnetic Astrophysical Transients (GREAT)? funded by the Swedish Research council (VR) under grant Dnr 2016- 06012. This research used resources provided by the Los Alamos National Laboratory Institutional Computing Program, which is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC52-06NA25396. Very Large Telescope data were obtained under European Southern Observatory program number 099.D-0668. NuSTAR acknowledges funding from NASA contract NNG08FD60C. A.J.L. and N.R.T. acknowledge funding from the European Research Council under the European Union?s Horizon 2020 program, grant 725246. Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory were supported by the National Nuclear Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy under contract DE-AC52-06NA25396. S.W.K.E. is supported by a Science and Technology Facilities Council studentship. The observations are archived at www.swift.ac.uk for Swift and https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/nustar/nustar_archive.html for NuSTAR, under the observation IDs given in table S2. Reduced photometry and surveyed areas are tabulated in the supplementary materials. The BOXFIT software is available at http://cosmo.nyu.edu/afterglowlibrary/boxfit2011.html, SUPERNU at https://bitbucket.org/drrossum/supernu/wiki/Home, and access to WINNET source code and input files will be granted upon request via https://bitbucket.org/korobkin/winnet. The dynamical model ejecta are available at http://compact-merger.astro.su.se/downloads_fluid_trajectories.html (as run 12). The SUPERNU and BOXFIT input files are available in the supplementary materials.

PY - 2017/12/22

Y1 - 2017/12/22

N2 - 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 counter part 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 (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 ultrarelativistic, highly collimated ejecta (a g-ray burst afterglow).

AB - 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 counter part 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 (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 ultrarelativistic, highly collimated ejecta (a g-ray burst afterglow).

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85031772208

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85031772208#tab=citedBy

U2 - 10.1126/science.aap9580

DO - 10.1126/science.aap9580

M3 - Article

C2 - 29038371

AN - SCOPUS:85031772208

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 358

SP - 1565

EP - 1570

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6370

ER -

Swift and NuSTAR observations of GW170817: Detection of a blue kilonova

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