Kilonovae and short GRBs observations in the multi-messenger era

The spectacular detection of the first electromagnetic counterpart of a gravitational wave event detected by the LIGO/Virgo interferometers and originated by the coalescence of a double neutron star (NS) system (GW 170817) marked the dawn of a new era for astronomy. The short GRB 170817A associated...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union 2020-06, Vol.16 (S363), p.117-126
Main Author: D’Avanzo, Paolo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Astronomy
Contributed Paper
Gravitational waves
Heavy nuclei
Kilonovae
Light curve
Neutron stars
Neutrons
Nuclear capture
Radioactive decay
Star mergers
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Summary:The spectacular detection of the first electromagnetic counterpart of a gravitational wave event detected by the LIGO/Virgo interferometers and originated by the coalescence of a double neutron star (NS) system (GW 170817) marked the dawn of a new era for astronomy. The short GRB 170817A associated to the gravitational wave event provided the long-sought evidence that at least a fraction of short GRBs are originated by NS-NS merging and suggested the intriguing possibility that relativistic jets can be launched in the process of a NS-NS merger. The wealth of data collected provided the first compelling observational evidence for the existence of kilonovae, i.e. the emission due to radioactive decay of heavy nuclei produced through rapid neutron capture. Besides the remarkable event associated to GW 170817, kilonova signatures have been identified in a few short GRBs light curves, supporting a scenario where kilonovae are ubiquitous and can probe neutron star mergers well beyond the horizon of the gravitational wave detectors. In this paper I will review the situation and perspectives of our understanding of short GRBs progenitors and kilonovae in the multi-messenger era.
ISSN:1743-9213
1743-9221
DOI:10.1017/S1743921322000515