LOFAR 144-MHz follow-up observations of GW170817
Journal article, 2020

We present low-radio-frequency follow-up observations of AT 2017gfo, the electromagnetic counterpart of GW170817, which was the first binary neutron star merger to be detected by Advanced LIGO-Virgo. These data, with a central frequency of 144 MHz, were obtained with LOFAR, the Low-Frequency Array. The maximum elevation of the target is just 13 degrees.7 when observed with LOFAR, making our observations particularly challenging to calibrate and significantly limiting the achievable sensitivity. On time-scales of 130-138 and 371-374 d after the merger event, we obtain 3s upper limits for the afterglow component of 6.6 and 19.5mJy beam(-1), respectively. Using our best upper limit and previously published, contemporaneous higher frequency radio data, we place a limit on any potential steepening of the radio spectrum between 610 and 144 MHz: the two-point spectral index alpha(610)(144) greater than or similar to -2.5. We also show that LOFAR can detect the afterglows of future binary neutron star merger events occurring at more favourable elevations.

gravitational waves

radio continuum: stars

stars: neutron

Author

J. W. Broderick

Curtin University

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

T. W. Shimwell

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

Leiden University

K. Gourdji

University of Amsterdam

A. Rowlinson

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

University of Amsterdam

S. Nissanke

National Institute for Subatomic Physics (NIKHEF)

University of Amsterdam

K. Hotokezaka

University of Tokyo

Princeton University

P. G. Jonker

Radboud University

Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON)

C. Tasse

Université Paris PSL

Rhodes University

M. J. Hardcastle

University of Hertfordshire

J. B. R. Oonk

University of Hertfordshire

Surfsara Bv

R. P. Fender

University of Oxford

R. A. M. J. Wijers

University of Amsterdam

A. Shulevski

University of Amsterdam

A. J. Stewart

The University of Sydney

S. ter Veen

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

V. A. Moss

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)

The University of Sydney

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

M. H. D. van der Wiel

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

D. A. Nichols

University of Virginia

University of Amsterdam

A. Piette

University of Cambridge

M. E. Bell

University of Technology Sydney

D. Carbone

University of The Virgin Islands

S. Corbel

University of Orléans

Paris Diderot University

J. Eisloeffel

Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg

J-M Griessmeier

University of Orléans

E. F. Keane

Jodrell Bank Observatory

C. J. Law

California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

T. Munoz-Darias

University of La Laguna

Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias

M. Pietka

University of Oxford

M. Serylak

South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO)

University of the Western Cape

A. J. van der Horst

George Washington University

J. van Leeuwen

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

University of Amsterdam

R. Wijnands

University of Amsterdam

P. Zarka

Paris Observatory

LESIA - Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique

J. M. Anderson

Technische Universität Berlin

German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ)

M. J. Bentum

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

Eindhoven University of Technology

R. Blaauw

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

W. N. Brouw

University of Groningen

M. Brueggen

University of Hamburg

B. Ciardi

Max Planck Society

M. de Vos

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

S. Duscha

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

R. A. Fallows

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

T. M. O. Franzen

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

M. A. Garrett

University of Manchester

Leiden University

A. W. Gunst

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

M. Hoeft

Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg

J. R. Hoerandel

Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)

Radboud University

National Institute for Subatomic Physics (NIKHEF)

M. Iacobelli

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

E. Juette

Ruhr-Universität Bochum

L. V. E. Koopmans

University of Groningen

A. Krankowski

University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn

P. Maat

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

G. Mann

Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam

H. Mulder

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

A. Nelles

Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY)

University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU)

H. Paas

University of Groningen

M. Pandey-Pommier

University of Orléans

Université de Lyon

R. Pekal

Poznan Supercomp & Networking Ctr PCSS

W. Reich

Max Planck Society

H. J. A. Roettgering

Leiden University

D. J. Schwarz

Bielefeld University

O. Smirnov

Rhodes University

South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO)

M. Soida

Jagiellonian University in Kraków

Maria Carmen Toribio Perez

Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Onsala Space Observatory

M. P. van Haarlem

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

R. J. van Weeren

Leiden University

C. Vocks

Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam

O. Wucknitz

Max Planck Society

P. Zucca

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

0035-8711 (ISSN) 1365-2966 (eISSN)

Vol. 494 4 5110-5117

Subject Categories

Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology

DOI

10.1093/mnras/staa950

More information

Latest update

10/10/2023