GW170817: Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Neutron Star Inspiral

(LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration)

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.161101

GW170817: Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Neutron Star Inspiral

(LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration)

Applied Mathematics and Statistics

California Institute of Technology
Louisiana State University
University of Salerno
National Institute for Nuclear Physics
University of Florida
Monash University
National Science Foundation
Université Savoie Mont Blanc
University of Sannio
Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute)
University of Mississippi
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Cambridge
National Institute for Subatomic Physics
Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais
Gran Sasso Science Institute
Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics India
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Leibniz University Hannover
University of Pisa
Australian National University
IN2P3-CNRS
University of the West of Scotland
IN2P3/CNRS
California State University Fullerton
European Gravitational Observatory
SPIC Science Foundation
University of Rome Tor Vergata
University of Hamburg
Cardiff University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Université Paris Cité

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

8840 Scopus citations

Abstract

On August 17, 2017 at 12-41:04 UTC the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo gravitational-wave detectors made their first observation of a binary neutron star inspiral. The signal, GW170817, was detected with a combined signal-to-noise ratio of 32.4 and a false-alarm-rate estimate of less than one per 8.0×104 years. We infer the component masses of the binary to be between 0.86 and 2.26 M, in agreement with masses of known neutron stars. Restricting the component spins to the range inferred in binary neutron stars, we find the component masses to be in the range 1.17-1.60 M, with the total mass of the system 2.74-0.01+0.04M. The source was localized within a sky region of 28 deg2 (90% probability) and had a luminosity distance of 40-14+8 Mpc, the closest and most precisely localized gravitational-wave signal yet. The association with the γ-ray burst GRB 170817A, detected by Fermi-GBM 1.7 s after the coalescence, corroborates the hypothesis of a neutron star merger and provides the first direct evidence of a link between these mergers and short γ-ray bursts. Subsequent identification of transient counterparts across the electromagnetic spectrum in the same location further supports the interpretation of this event as a neutron star merger. This unprecedented joint gravitational and electromagnetic observation provides insight into astrophysics, dense matter, gravitation, and cosmology.

Original language	English
Article number	161101
Journal	Physical Review Letters
Volume	119
Issue number	16
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.161101
State	Published - Oct 16 2017

Access to Document

10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.161101

Cite this

@article{534d914502f04ece9ff5afcde0cf2fb3,

title = "GW170817: Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Neutron Star Inspiral",

abstract = "On August 17, 2017 at 12-41:04 UTC the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo gravitational-wave detectors made their first observation of a binary neutron star inspiral. The signal, GW170817, was detected with a combined signal-to-noise ratio of 32.4 and a false-alarm-rate estimate of less than one per 8.0×104 years. We infer the component masses of the binary to be between 0.86 and 2.26 M, in agreement with masses of known neutron stars. Restricting the component spins to the range inferred in binary neutron stars, we find the component masses to be in the range 1.17-1.60 M, with the total mass of the system 2.74-0.01+0.04M. The source was localized within a sky region of 28 deg2 (90\% probability) and had a luminosity distance of 40-14+8 Mpc, the closest and most precisely localized gravitational-wave signal yet. The association with the γ-ray burst GRB 170817A, detected by Fermi-GBM 1.7 s after the coalescence, corroborates the hypothesis of a neutron star merger and provides the first direct evidence of a link between these mergers and short γ-ray bursts. Subsequent identification of transient counterparts across the electromagnetic spectrum in the same location further supports the interpretation of this event as a neutron star merger. This unprecedented joint gravitational and electromagnetic observation provides insight into astrophysics, dense matter, gravitation, and cosmology.",

author = "\{(LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration)\} and Abbott, \{B. P.\} and R. Abbott and Abbott, \{T. D.\} and F. Acernese and K. Ackley and C. Adams and T. Adams and P. Addesso and Adhikari, \{R. X.\} and Adya, \{V. B.\} and C. Affeldt and M. Afrough and B. Agarwal and M. Agathos and K. Agatsuma and N. Aggarwal and Aguiar, \{O. D.\} and L. Aiello and A. Ain and P. Ajith and B. Allen and G. Allen and A. Allocca and Altin, \{P. A.\} and A. Amato and A. Ananyeva and Anderson, \{S. B.\} and Anderson, \{W. G.\} and Angelova, \{S. V.\} and S. Antier and S. Appert and K. Arai and Araya, \{M. C.\} and Areeda, \{J. S.\} and N. Arnaud and Arun, \{K. G.\} and S. Ascenzi and G. Ashton and M. Ast and Aston, \{S. M.\} and P. Astone and Atallah, \{D. V.\} and P. Aufmuth and C. Aulbert and K. Aultoneal and C. Austin and A. Avila-Alvarez and S. Babak and P. Bacon and C. Markakis",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2017 authors. Published by the American Physical Society.",

year = "2017",

month = oct,

day = "16",

doi = "10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.161101",

language = "English",

volume = "119",

journal = "Physical Review Letters",

issn = "0031-9007",

number = "16",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - GW170817

T2 - Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Neutron Star Inspiral

AU - (LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration)

AU - Abbott, B. P.

AU - Abbott, R.

AU - Abbott, T. D.

AU - Acernese, F.

AU - Ackley, K.

AU - Adams, C.

AU - Adams, T.

AU - Addesso, P.

AU - Adhikari, R. X.

AU - Adya, V. B.

AU - Affeldt, C.

AU - Afrough, M.

AU - Agarwal, B.

AU - Agathos, M.

AU - Agatsuma, K.

AU - Aggarwal, N.

AU - Aguiar, O. D.

AU - Aiello, L.

AU - Ain, A.

AU - Ajith, P.

AU - Allen, B.

AU - Allen, G.

AU - Allocca, A.

AU - Altin, P. A.

AU - Amato, A.

AU - Ananyeva, A.

AU - Anderson, S. B.

AU - Anderson, W. G.

AU - Angelova, S. V.

AU - Antier, S.

AU - Appert, S.

AU - Arai, K.

AU - Araya, M. C.

AU - Areeda, J. S.

AU - Arnaud, N.

AU - Arun, K. G.

AU - Ascenzi, S.

AU - Ashton, G.

AU - Ast, M.

AU - Aston, S. M.

AU - Astone, P.

AU - Atallah, D. V.

AU - Aufmuth, P.

AU - Aulbert, C.

AU - Aultoneal, K.

AU - Austin, C.

AU - Avila-Alvarez, A.

AU - Babak, S.

AU - Bacon, P.

AU - Markakis, C.

PY - 2017/10/16

Y1 - 2017/10/16

N2 - On August 17, 2017 at 12-41:04 UTC the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo gravitational-wave detectors made their first observation of a binary neutron star inspiral. The signal, GW170817, was detected with a combined signal-to-noise ratio of 32.4 and a false-alarm-rate estimate of less than one per 8.0×104 years. We infer the component masses of the binary to be between 0.86 and 2.26 M, in agreement with masses of known neutron stars. Restricting the component spins to the range inferred in binary neutron stars, we find the component masses to be in the range 1.17-1.60 M, with the total mass of the system 2.74-0.01+0.04M. The source was localized within a sky region of 28 deg2 (90% probability) and had a luminosity distance of 40-14+8 Mpc, the closest and most precisely localized gravitational-wave signal yet. The association with the γ-ray burst GRB 170817A, detected by Fermi-GBM 1.7 s after the coalescence, corroborates the hypothesis of a neutron star merger and provides the first direct evidence of a link between these mergers and short γ-ray bursts. Subsequent identification of transient counterparts across the electromagnetic spectrum in the same location further supports the interpretation of this event as a neutron star merger. This unprecedented joint gravitational and electromagnetic observation provides insight into astrophysics, dense matter, gravitation, and cosmology.

AB - On August 17, 2017 at 12-41:04 UTC the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo gravitational-wave detectors made their first observation of a binary neutron star inspiral. The signal, GW170817, was detected with a combined signal-to-noise ratio of 32.4 and a false-alarm-rate estimate of less than one per 8.0×104 years. We infer the component masses of the binary to be between 0.86 and 2.26 M, in agreement with masses of known neutron stars. Restricting the component spins to the range inferred in binary neutron stars, we find the component masses to be in the range 1.17-1.60 M, with the total mass of the system 2.74-0.01+0.04M. The source was localized within a sky region of 28 deg2 (90% probability) and had a luminosity distance of 40-14+8 Mpc, the closest and most precisely localized gravitational-wave signal yet. The association with the γ-ray burst GRB 170817A, detected by Fermi-GBM 1.7 s after the coalescence, corroborates the hypothesis of a neutron star merger and provides the first direct evidence of a link between these mergers and short γ-ray bursts. Subsequent identification of transient counterparts across the electromagnetic spectrum in the same location further supports the interpretation of this event as a neutron star merger. This unprecedented joint gravitational and electromagnetic observation provides insight into astrophysics, dense matter, gravitation, and cosmology.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85031911991

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.161101

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.161101

M3 - Article

C2 - 29099225

AN - SCOPUS:85031911991

SN - 0031-9007

VL - 119

JO - Physical Review Letters

JF - Physical Review Letters

IS - 16

M1 - 161101

ER -

GW170817: Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Neutron Star Inspiral

Abstract

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this