Related papers: Kilonovae

Kilonovae

The mergers of double neutron star (NS-NS) and black hole (BH)-NS binaries are promising gravitational wave (GW) sources for Advanced LIGO and future GW detectors. The neutron-rich ejecta from such merger events undergoes rapid neutron…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2017-07-19 Brian D. Metzger

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

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

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

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

GW170817$-$the first observed neutron star merger and its kilonova: implications for the astrophysical site of the r-process

The first neutron star (NS) merger observed by advanced LIGO and Virgo, GW170817, and its fireworks of electromagnetic counterparts across the entire electromagnetic spectrum marked the beginning of multi-messenger astronomy and…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2019-12-24 Daniel M. Siegel

Origin of the heavy elements in binary neutron-star mergers from a gravitational wave event

The cosmic origin of the elements heavier than iron has long been uncertain. Theoretical modelling shows that the matter that is expelled in the violent merger of two neutron stars can assemble into heavy elements such as gold and platinum…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2017-10-17 Daniel Kasen , Brian Metzger , Jennifer Barnes , Eliot Quataert , Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz

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

Optical emission from a kilonova following a gravitational-wave-detected neutron-star merger

The merger of two neutron stars has been predicted to produce an optical-infrared transient (lasting a few days) known as a 'kilonova', powered by the radioactive decay of neutron-rich species synthesized in the merger. Evidence that short…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2017-10-17 Iair Arcavi , Griffin Hosseinzadeh , D. Andrew Howell , Curtis McCully , Dovi Poznanski , Daniel Kasen , Jennifer Barnes , Michael Zaltzman , Sergiy Vasylyev , Dan Maoz , Stefano Valenti

Relativistic Atomic Structure of Au IV and the Os Isoelectronic Sequence: opacity data for kilonova ejecta

Direct detection of gravitational waves (GW) on Aug. 17, 2017, propagating from a binary neutron star merger, opened the era of multimessenger astronomy. The ejected material from neutron star mergers, or kilonova, is a good candidate for…

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Physics 2022-07-07 Z. S. Taghadomi , Y. Wan , A. Flowers , P. C. Stancil , B. M. McLaughlin , S. Bromley , J. P. Marler , C. E. Sosolik , S. Loch

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 from post-merger ejecta as an optical and near-infrared counterpart of GW170817

Recent detection of gravitational waves from a neutron star (NS) merger event GW170817 and identification of an electromagnetic counterpart provide a unique opportunity to study the physical processes in NS mergers. To derive properties of…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2017-10-17 Masaomi Tanaka , Yousuke Utsumi , Paolo A. Mazzali , Nozomu Tominaga , Michitoshi Yoshida , Yuichiro Sekiguchi , Tomoki Morokuma , Kentaro Motohara , Kouji Ohta , Koji S. Kawabata , Fumio Abe , Kentaro Aoki , Yuichiro Asakura , Stefan Baar , Sudhanshu Barway , Ian A. Bond , Mamoru Doi , Takuya Fujiyoshi , Hisanori Furusawa , Satoshi Honda , Yoichi Itoh , Miho Kawabata , Nobuyuki Kawai , Ji Hoon Kim , Chien-Hsiu Lee , Shota Miyazaki , Kumiko Morihana , Hiroki Nagashima , Takahiro Nagayama , Tatsuya Nakaoka , Fumiaki Nakata , Ryou Ohsawa , Tomohito Ohshima , Hirofumi Okita , Tomoki Saito , Takahiro Sumi , Akito Tajitsu , Jun Takahashi , Masaki Takayama , Yoichi Tamura , Ichi Tanaka , Tsuyoshi Terai , Paul J. Tristram , Naoki Yasuda , Tetsuya Zenko

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

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

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

Double Compact Objects II: Cosmological Merger Rates

The development of advanced gravitational wave (GW) observatories, such as Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo, provides impetus to refine theoretical predictions for what these instruments might detect. In particular, with the range…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2015-06-16 Michal Dominik , Krzysztof Belczynski , Christopher Fryer , Daniel E. Holz , Emanuele Berti , Tomasz Bulik , Ilya Mandel , Richard O'Shaughnessy

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

On r-process nucleosynthesis from matter ejected in binary neutron starmergers

When binary systems of neutron stars merge, a very small fraction of their rest mass is ejected, either dynamically or secularly. This material is neutron-rich and its nucleosynthesis could provide the astrophysical site for the production…

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology · Physics 2017-12-13 Luke Bovard , Dirk Martin , Federico Guercilena , Almudena Arcones , Luciano Rezzolla , Oleg Korobkin

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

A long-lived remnant neutron star after GW170817 inferred from its associated kilonova

The successful joint observation of the gravitational wave event GW170817 and its multi-wavelength electromagnetic counterparts first enables human to witness a definite merger event of two neutron stars (NSs). This historical event…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2018-07-25 Yun-Wei Yu , Liang-Duan Liu , Zi-Gao Dai