2017ApJ...848L..16S

Query : 2017ApJ...848L..16S

2017ApJ...848L..16S - Astrophys. J., 848, L16-L16 (2017/October-3)

The electromagnetic counterpart of the binary neutron star merger LIGO/Virgo GW170817. I. Discovery of the optical counterpart using the Dark Energy Camera.

SOARES-SANTOS M., HOLZ D.E., ANNIS J., CHORNOCK R., HERNER K., BERGER E., BROUT D., CHEN H.-Y., KESSLER R., SAKO M., ALLAM S., TUCKER D.L., BUTLER R.E., PALMESE A., DOCTOR Z., DIEHL H.T., FRIEMAN J., YANNY B., LIN H., SCOLNIC D., COWPERTHWAITE P., NEILSEN E., MARRINER J., KUROPATKIN N., HARTLEY W.G., PAZ-CHINCHON F., ALEXANDER K.D., BALBINOT E., BLANCHARD P., BROWN D.A., CARLIN J.L., CONSELICE C., COOK E.R., DRLICA-WAGNER A., DROUT M.R., DURRET F., EFTEKHARI T., FARR B., FINLEY D.A., FOLEY R.J., FONG W., FRYER C.L., GARCIA-BELLIDO J., GILL M.S.S., GRUENDL R.A., HANNA C., KASEN D., LI T.S., LOPES P.A.A., LOURENCO A.C.C., MARGUTTI R., MARSHALL J.L., MATHESON T., MEDINA G.E., METZGER B.D., MUNOZ R.R., MUIR J., NICHOLL M., QUATAERT E., REST A., SAUSEDA M., SCHLEGEL D.J., SECCO L.F., SOBREIRA F., STEBBINS A., VILLAR V.A., VIVAS K., WALKER A.R., WESTER W., WILLIAMS P.K.G., ZENTENO A., ZHANG Y., ABBOTT T.M.C., ABDALLA F.B., BANERJI M., BECHTOL K., BENOIT-LEVY A., BERTIN E., BROOKS D., BUCKLEY-GEER E., BURKE D.L., CARNERO ROSELL A., CARRASCO KIND M., CARRETERO J., CASTANDER F.J., CROCCE M., CUNHA C.E., D'ANDREA C.B., DA COSTA L.N., DAVIS C., DESAI S., DIETRICH J.P., DOEL P., EIFLER T.F., FERNANDEZ E., FLAUGHER B., FOSALBA P., GAZTANAGA E., GERDES D.W., GIANNANTONIO T., GOLDSTEIN D.A., GRUEN D., GSCHWEND J., GUTIERREZ G., HONSCHEID K., JAIN B., JAMES D.J., JELTEMA T., JOHNSON M.W.G., JOHNSON M.D., KENT S., KRAUSE E., KRON R., KUEHN K., KUHLMANN S., LAHAV O., LIMA M., MAIA M.A.G., MARCH M., McMAHON R.G., MENANTEAU F., MIQUEL R., MOHR J.J., NICHOL R.C., NORD B., OGANDO R.L.C., PETRAVICK D., PLAZAS A.A., ROMER A.K., ROODMAN A., RYKOFF E.S., SANCHEZ E., SCARPINE V., SCHUBNELL M., SEVILLA-NOARBE I., SMITH M., SMITH R.C., SUCHYTA E., SWANSON M.E.C., TARLE G., THOMAS D., THOMAS R.C., TROXEL M.A., VIKRAM V., WECHSLER R.H., WELLER J. (The Dark Energy Survey and the Dark Energy Camera GW-EM Collaborations)

Abstract (from CDS):

We present the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) discovery of the optical counterpart of the first binary neutron star merger detected through gravitational-wave emission, GW170817. Our observations commenced 10.5 hr post-merger, as soon as the localization region became accessible from Chile. We imaged 70 deg2 in the i and z bands, covering 93% of the initial integrated localization probability, to a depth necessary to identify likely optical counterparts (e.g., a kilonova). At 11.4 hr post-merger we detected a bright optical transient located 10′′ / . 6 from the nucleus of NGC 4993 at redshift z = 0.0098, consistent (for H0=70 km s–1 Mpc–1) with the distance of 40 ± 8 Mpc reported by the LIGO Scientific Collaboration and the Virgo Collaboration (LVC). At detection the transient had magnitudes of i=17.3 and z=17.4, and thus an absolute magnitude of Mi=-15.7, in the luminosity range expected for a kilonova. We identified 1500 potential transient candidates. Applying simple selection criteria aimed at rejecting background events such as supernovae, we find the transient associated with NGC 4993 as the only remaining plausible counterpart, and reject chance coincidence at the 99.5% confidence level. We therefore conclude that the optical counterpart we have identified near NGC 4993 is associated with GW170817. This discovery ushers in the era of multi-messenger astronomy with gravitational waves and demonstrates the power of DECam to identify the optical counterparts of gravitational-wave sources.

Abstract Copyright: © 2017. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

Journal keyword(s): binaries: close - catalogs - gravitational waves - stars: neutron - surveys - surveys

VizieR on-line data: <Available at CDS (J/ApJ/848/L16): table1.dat>

Simbad objects: 4

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Number of rows : 4
N Identifier Otype ICRS (J2000)
RA 		ICRS (J2000)
DEC 		Mag U Mag B Mag V Mag R Mag I Sp type #ref
1850 - 2024 		#notes
1 NGC 4993 Sy2 13 09 47.6908761600 -23 23 02.314044636   13.34   11.92   ~ 344 0
2 GrW 170817 GWE 13 09 48.0850 -23 22 53.343           ~ 2033 0
3 GrW 150914 GWE ~ ~           ~ 595 1
4 GrW 151226 GWE ~ ~           ~ 258 1

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