LOFAR 144-MHz follow-up observations of GW170817
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 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

Författare

J. W. Broderick

Curtin University

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

T. W. Shimwell

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

Universiteit Leiden

K. Gourdji

Universiteit Van Amsterdam

A. Rowlinson

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

Universiteit Van Amsterdam

S. Nissanke

National Institute for Subatomic Physics (NIKHEF)

Universiteit Van Amsterdam

K. Hotokezaka

University of Tokyo

Princeton University

P. G. Jonker

Radboud Universiteit

Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON)

C. Tasse

Université de recherche Paris Sciences et Lettres

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

Universiteit Van Amsterdam

A. Shulevski

Universiteit Van 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

Universiteit Van Amsterdam

A. Piette

University of Cambridge

M. E. Bell

University of Technology Sydney

D. Carbone

University of The Virgin Islands

S. Corbel

Universite d'Orleans

Université Paris Diderot

J. Eisloeffel

Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg

J-M Griessmeier

Universite d'Orleans

E. F. Keane

Jodrell Bank Observatory

C. J. Law

California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

T. Munoz-Darias

Universidad de 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)

Universiteit Van Amsterdam

R. Wijnands

Universiteit Van Amsterdam

P. Zarka

Observatoire de Paris

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

J. M. Anderson

Technische Universität Berlin

Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ)

M. J. Bentum

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

Technische Universiteit Eindhoven

R. Blaauw

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

W. N. Brouw

Rijksuniversiteit Groningen

M. Brueggen

Universität Hamburg

B. Ciardi

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

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

Universiteit Leiden

A. W. Gunst

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

M. Hoeft

Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg

J. R. Hoerandel

Vrije Universiteit Brüssel (VUB)

Radboud Universiteit

National Institute for Subatomic Physics (NIKHEF)

M. Iacobelli

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

E. Juette

Ruhr-Universität Bochum

L. V. E. Koopmans

Rijksuniversiteit Groningen

A. Krankowski

University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn

P. Maat

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

G. Mann

Leibniz-Institut Für Astrophysik Potsdam

H. Mulder

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

A. Nelles

Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY)

Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen Nurnberg (FAU)

H. Paas

Rijksuniversiteit Groningen

M. Pandey-Pommier

Universite d'Orleans

Université de Lyon

R. Pekal

Poznan Supercomp & Networking Ctr PCSS

W. Reich

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

H. J. A. Roettgering

Universiteit Leiden

D. J. Schwarz

Universität Bielefeld

O. Smirnov

Rhodes University

South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO)

M. Soida

Uniwersytet Jagiellonski w Krakowie

Maria Carmen Toribio Perez

Chalmers, Rymd-, geo- och miljövetenskap, Onsala rymdobservatorium

M. P. van Haarlem

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

R. J. van Weeren

Universiteit Leiden

C. Vocks

Leibniz-Institut Für Astrophysik Potsdam

O. Wucknitz

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

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

Ämneskategorier

Astronomi, astrofysik och kosmologi

DOI

10.1093/mnras/staa950

Mer information

Senast uppdaterat

2023-10-10