The emergence of a lanthanide-rich kilonova following the merger of two neutron stars
- Tanvir, N. R.
- Levan, A. J.
- González-Fernández, C.
- Korobkin, O.
- Mandel, I.
- Rosswog, S.
- Hjorth, J.
- D’Avanzo, P.
- Fruchter, A. S.
- Fryer, C. L.
- Kangas, T.
- Milvang-Jensen, B.
- Rosetti, S.
- Steeghs, D.
- Wollaeger, R. T.
- Cano, Z.
- Copperwheat, C. M.
- Covino, S.
- D’Elia, V.
- Postigo, A. de Ugarte
- Evans, P. A.
- Even, W. P.
- Fairhurst, S.
- Figuera Jaimes, R.
- Fontes, C. J.
- Fujii, Y. I.
- Fynbo, J. P. U.
- Gompertz, B. P.
- Greiner, J.
- Hodosan, G.
- Irwin, M. J.
- Jakobsson, P.
- Jørgensen, U. G.
- Kann, D. A.
- Lyman, J. D.
- Malesani, D.
- McMahon, R. G.
- Melandri, A.
- O’Brien, P. T.
- Osborne, J. P.
- Palazzi, E.
- Perley, D. A.
- Pian, E.
- Piranomonte, S.
- Rabus, M.
- Rol, E.
- Rowlinson, A.
- Schulze, S.
- Sutton, P.
- Thöne, C. C.
- Ulaczyk, K.
- Watson, D.
- Wiersema, K.
- Wijers, R. A. M. J.
DOIAbstract
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...
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