Related papers: Kilonovae

Kilonovae

The coalescence of double neutron star (NS-NS) and black hole (BH)-NS binaries are prime sources of gravitational waves (GW) for Advanced LIGO/Virgo and future ground-based detectors. Neutron-rich matter released from such events undergo…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2020-01-08 Brian D. Metzger

Kilonovae: nUV/Optical/IR Counterparts of Neutron Star Binary Mergers with TSO

With the epochal first detection of gravitational waves from a binary neutron star (NS) merger with the GW170817 event, and its direct confirmation that NS-NS mergers are significant sources of the of the r-process nucleosynthesis of heavy…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2019-03-15 Brian D. Metzger , Edo Berger , Jonathan Grindlay , Suvi Gezari , Zeljko Ivezic , Jacob Jencson , Mansi Kasliwal , Alexander Kutyrev , Chelsea Macleod , Gary Melnick , Bill Purcell , George Rieke , Yue Shen , Nial Tanvir , Michael Wood Vasey

Enabling Kilonova Science with Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

Binary neutron star mergers and neutron star-black hole mergers are multi-messenger sources that can be detected in gravitational waves and in electromagnetic radiation. The low electron fraction of neutron star merger ejecta favors the…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2023-10-05 Igor Andreoni , Michael W. Coughlin , Alexander W. Criswell , Mattia Bulla , Andrew Toivonen , Leo P. Singer , Antonella Palmese , E. Burns , Suvi Gezari , Mansi M. Kasliwal , R. Weizmann Kiendrebeogo , Ashish Mahabal , Takashi J. Moriya , Armin Rest , Dan Scolnic , Robert A. Simcoe , Jamie Soon , Robert Stein , Tony Travouillon

A kilonova as the electromagnetic counterpart to a gravitational-wave source

Gravitational waves were discovered with the detection of binary black hole mergers and they should also be detectable from lower mass neutron star mergers. These are predicted to eject material rich in heavy radioactive isotopes that can…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2017-10-18 S. J. Smartt , T. -W. Chen , A. Jerkstrand , M. Coughlin , E. Kankare , S. A. Sim , M. Fraser , C. Inserra , K. Maguire , K. C. Chambers , M. E. Huber , T. Kruhler , G. Leloudas , M. Magee , L. J. Shingles , K. W. Smith , D. R. Young , J. Tonry , R. Kotak , A. Gal-Yam , J. D. Lyman , D. S. Homan , C. Agliozzo , J. P. Anderson , C. R. Angus C. Ashall , C. Barbarino , F. E. Bauer , M. Berton , M. T. Botticella , M. Bulla , J. Bulger , G. Cannizzaro , Z. Cano , R. Cartier , A. Cikota , P. Clark , A. De Cia , M. Della Valle , L. Denneau , M. Dennefeld , L. Dessart , G. Dimitriadis , N. Elias-Rosa , R. E. Firth , H. Flewelling , A. Flors , A. Franckowiak , C. Frohmaier , L. Galbany , S. Gonzalez-Gaitan , J. Greiner , M. Gromadzki , A. Nicuesa Guelbenzu , C. P. Gutierrez , A. Hamanowicz , L. Hanlon , J. Harmanen , K. E. Heintz , A. Heinze , M. -S. Hernandez , S. T. Hodgkin , I. M. Hook , L. Izzo , P. A. James , P. G. Jonker , W. E. Kerzendorf , S. Klose , Z. Kostrzewa-Rutkowska , M. Kowalski , M. Kromer , H. Kuncarayakti , A. Lawrence , T. B. Lowe , E. A. Magnier , I. Manulis , A. Martin-Carrillo , S. Mattila , O. McBrien , A. Muller , J. Nordin , D. O'Neill , F. Onori , J. T. Palmerio , A. Pastorello , F. Patat , G. Pignata , Ph. Podsiadlowski , M. L. Pumo , S. J. Prentice , A. Rau , A. Razza , A. Rest , T. Reynolds , R. Roy , A. J. Ruiter , K. A. Rybicki , L. Salmon , P. Schady , A. S. B. Schultz , T. Schweyer , I. R. Seitenzahl , M. Smith , J. Sollerman , B. Stalder , C. W. Stubbs , M. Sullivan , H. Szegedi , F. Taddia , S. Taubenberger , G. Terreran , B. van Soelen , J. Vos , R. J. Wainscoat , N. A. Walton , C. Waters , H. Weiland , M. Willman , P. Wiseman , D. E. Wright , L. Wyrzykowski , O. Yaron

Spectroscopic identification of r-process nucleosynthesis in a double neutron star merger

The merger of two neutron stars is predicted to give rise to three major detectable phenomena: a short burst of gamma-rays, a gravitational wave signal, and a transient optical/near-infrared source powered by the synthesis of large amounts…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2017-10-19 E. Pian , P. D'Avanzo , S. Benetti , M. Branchesi , E. Brocato , S. Campana , E. Cappellaro , S. Covino , V. D'Elia , J. P. U. Fynbo , F. Getman , G. Ghirlanda , G. Ghisellini , A. Grado , G. Greco , J. Hjorth , C. Kouveliotou , A. Levan , L. Limatola , D. Malesani , P. A. Mazzali , A. Melandri , P. Moller , L. Nicastro , E. Palazzi , S. Piranomonte , A. Rossi , O. S. Salafia , J. Selsing , G. Stratta , M. Tanaka , N. R. Tanvir , L. Tomasella , D. Watson , S. Yang , L. Amati , L. A. Antonelli , S. Ascenzi , M. G. Bernardini , M. Boer , F. Bufano , A. Bulgarelli , M. Capaccioli , P. G. Casella , A. J. Castro-Tirado , E. Chassande-Mottin , R. Ciolfi , C. M. Copperwheat , M. Dadina , G. De Cesare , A. Di Paola , Y. Z. Fan , B. Gendre , G. Giuffrida , A. Giunta , L. K. Hunt , G. Israel , Z. -P. Jin , M. Kasliwal , S. Klose , M. Lisi , F. Longo , E. Maiorano , M. Mapelli , . Masetti , L. Nava , B. Patricelli , D. Perley , A. Pescalli , T. Piran , A. Possenti , L. Pulone , M. Razzano , R. Salvaterra , P. Schipani , M. Spera , A. Stamerra , L. Stella , G. Tagliaferri , V. Testa , E. Troja , M. Turatto , S. D. Vergani , D. Vergani

The Emergence of a Lanthanide-Rich Kilonova Following the Merger of Two Neutron Stars

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 LIGO/Virgo (GW170817) and as a short gamma-ray burst by Fermi/GBM…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2017-10-17 N. R. Tanvir , A. J. Levan , C. Gonzalez-Fernandez , O. Korobkin , I. Mandel , S. Rosswog , J. Hjorth , P. D'Avanzo , A. S. Fruchter , C. L. Fryer , T. Kangas , B. Milvang-Jensen , S. Rosetti , D. Steeghs , R. T. Wollaeger , Z. Cano , C. M. Copperwheat , S. Covino , V. D'Elia , A. de Ugarte Postigo , P. A. Evans , W. P. Even , S. Fairhurst , R. Figuera Jaimes , C. J. Fontes , Y. I. Fujii , J. P. U. Fynbo , B. P. Gompertz , J. Greiner , G. Hodosan , M. J. Irwin , P. Jakobsson , U. G. Jorgensen , D. A. Kann , J. D. Lyman , D. Malesani , R. G. McMahon , A. Melandri , P. T. O'Brien , J. P. Osborne , E. Palazzi , D. A. Perley , E. Pian , S. Piranomonte , M. Rabus , E. Rol , A. Rowlinson , S. Schulze , P. Sutton , C. C. Thoene , K. Ulaczyk , D. Watson , K. Wiersema , R. A. M. J. Wijers

Kilonova emission from GW230529 and mass gap neutron star-black hole mergers

The detection of the gravitational wave event GW230529, presumably a neutron star-black hole (NSBH) merger, by the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) Collaboration marks an exciting discovery for multimessenger astronomy. The black hole (BH) has a high…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2025-10-14 Keerthi Kunnumkai , Antonella Palmese , Mattia Bulla , Tim Dietrich , Amanda M. Farah , Peter T. H. Pang

Kilonova constraints for the LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA neutron star merger candidate S250206dm: GW-MMADS observations

Gravitational wave (GW) neutron star mergers with an associated electromagnetic counterpart constitute powerful probes of binary evolution, the production sites of heavy elements, general relativity, and the expansion of the universe. Only…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2025-11-04 Lei Hu , Tomás Cabrera , Antonella Palmese , James Freeburn , Mattia Bulla , Igor Andreoni , Xander J. Hall , Brendan O'Connor , Ariel Amsellem , Clécio R. Bom , Malte Busmann , Jennifer Fabà , Julius Gassert , Sena Kalabalik , Keerthi Kunnumkai , Daniel Gruen , Luidhy Santana-Silva , André Santos , Tomás Ahumada , Jonathan Carney , Michael W. Coughlin , Xingzhuo Chen , K. E. Saavik Ford , Daniel E. Holz , Mansi M. Kasliwal , Ignacio Magaña Hernandez , Cassidy Mihalenko , Rosalba Perna , Arno Riffeser , Christoph Ries , Lena Schnappinger , Michael Schmidt , Julian Sommer , Sarah Teague , Pablo Vega , Olga Volchansky , Lifan Wang , Yajie Zhang

Neutron-powered precursors of kilonovae

The merger of binary neutron stars (NSs) ejects a small quantity of neutron rich matter, the radioactive decay of which powers a day to week long thermal transient known as a kilonova. Most of the ejecta remains sufficiently dense during…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2015-06-22 Brian D. Metzger , Andreas Bauswein , Stephane Goriely , Daniel Kasen

Kilonova/Macronova Emission from Compact Binary Mergers

We review current understanding of kilonova/macronova emission from compact binary mergers (mergers of two neutron stars or a neutron star and a black hole). Kilonova/macronova is optical and near-infrared emission powered by radioactive…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2016-07-27 Masaomi Tanaka

Kilonova emission from black hole-neutron star mergers: observational signatures of anisotropic mass ejection

The gravitational wave event GW170817 associated with the short gamma-ray burst (GRB) 170817A confirms that binary neutron star (BNS) mergers are one of the origins of short GRBs. The associated kilonova emission, radioactively powered by…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2018-10-31 Zhi-Qiu Huang , Liang-Duan Liu , Xiang-Yu Wang , Zi-Gao Dai

Distinguishing Kilonovae from Binary Neutron Star and Neutron Star-Black Hole Mergers

Kilonovae from compact binary mergers are most informative when accompanied by a gravitational-wave signal, which can help identify the source as a binary neutron star (BNS) or a neutron star-black hole (NSBH) merger. However, future events…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2026-03-17 Ish Gupta , Yugesh Bhoge , Rahul Kashyap , Mukul Bhattacharya

A multi-messenger model for neutron star - black hole mergers

We present a semi-analytic model for predicting kilonova light curves from the mergers of neutron stars with black holes (NSBH). The model is integrated into the MOSFiT platform, and can generate light curves from input binary properties…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2023-10-02 B. P. Gompertz , M. Nicholl , J. C. Smith , S. Harisankar , G. Pratten , P. Schmidt , G. P. Smith

Prospects for kilonova signals in the gravitational-wave era

The binary neutron star merger gravitational-wave signal GW170817 was followed by three electromagnetic counterparts, including a kilonova arising from the radioactivity of freshly synthesized $r$-process elements in ejecta from the merger.…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2021-07-21 Robert Mochkovitch , Frédéric Daigne , Raphaël Duque , Hannachi Zitouni

Inclination Dependence of Kilonova Light Curves from Globally Aspherical Geometries

The merger of two neutron stars (NSs) or a neutron star and a black hole (BH) produces a radioactively-powered transient known as a kilonova, first observed accompanying the gravitational wave event GW170817. While kilonovae are frequently…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2021-03-17 Siva Darbha , Daniel Kasen

Detecting electromagnetic counterparts to LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA gravitational wave events with DECam: Neutron Star Mergers

With GW170817 being the only multimessenger gravitational wave (GW) event with an associated kilonova detected so far, there exists a pressing need for realistic estimation of the GW localization uncertainties and rates, as well as…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2026-01-15 Keerthi Kunnumkai , Antonella Palmese , Amanda M Farah , Mattia Bulla , Tim Dietrich , Peter T H Pang , Shreya Anand , Igor Andreoni , Tomas Cabrera , Brendan O Connor

Superheavy Elements in Kilonovae

As LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA enters its fourth observing run, a new opportunity to search for electromagnetic counterparts of compact object mergers will also begin. The light curves and spectra from the first "kilonova" associated with a binary…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2023-07-05 Erika M. Holmbeck , Jennifer Barnes , Kelsey A. Lund , Trevor M. Sprouse , G. C. McLaughlin , Matthew R. Mumpower

Light-curve models of black hole - neutron star mergers: steps towards a multi-messenger parameter estimation

In the new era of gravitational wave (GW) and multi-messenger astrophysics, the detection of a GW signal from the coalescence of a black hole - neutron star (BHNS) binary remains a highly anticipated discovery. This kind of system is…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2019-06-05 C. Barbieri , O. S. Salafia , A. Perego , M. Colpi , G. Ghirlanda

Supernova and prompt gravitational-wave precursors to LIGO gravitational-wave sources and short-GRBs

Binary black-holes (BHs) and binary neutron-stars (NSs) mergers had been recently detected through gravitational-wave (GW) emission, with the latter followed by post-merger electromagnetic counterparts, appearing seconds up to weeks after…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2018-03-21 Erez Michaely , Hagai B. Perets

Modelling Populations of Kilonovae

The 2017 detection of a kilonova coincident with gravitational-wave emission has identified neutron star mergers as the major source of the heaviest elements, and dramatically constrained alternative theories of gravity. Observing a…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2023-03-07 Christian N. Setzer , Hiranya V. Peiris , Oleg Korobkin , Stephan Rosswog