A decline in the X-ray through radio emission from GW170817 continues to support an off-axis structured jet

K. D. Alexander; R. Margutti; P. K. Blanchard; W. Fong; E. Berger; A. Hajela; T. Eftekhari; R. Chornock; P. S. Cowperthwaite; D. Giannios; C. Guidorzi; A. Kathirgamaraju; A. MacFadyen; B. D. Metzger; M. Nicholl; L. Sironi; V. A. Villar; P. K. G. Williams; X. Xie; J. Zrake

doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aad637

A decline in the X-ray through radio emission from GW170817 continues to support an off-axis structured jet

K. D. Alexander, R. Margutti, P. K. Blanchard, W. Fong, E. Berger, A. Hajela, T. Eftekhari, R. Chornock, P. S. Cowperthwaite, D. Giannios, C. Guidorzi, A. Kathirgamaraju, A. MacFadyen, B. D. Metzger, M. Nicholl, L. Sironi, V. A. Villar, P. K. G. Williams, X. Xie, J. Zrake

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Abstract

We present new observations of the binary neutron star merger GW170817 at Δt ≈ 220–290 days post-merger, at radio (Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array; VLA), X-ray (Chandra X-ray Observatory), and optical (Hubble Space Telescope; HST) wavelengths. These observations provide the first evidence for a turnover in the X-ray light curve, mirroring a decline in the radio emission at ≳5σ significance. The radio-to-X-ray spectral energy distribution exhibits no evolution into the declining phase. Our full multi-wavelength data set is consistent with the predicted behavior of our previously published models of a successful structured jet expanding into a low-density circumbinary medium, but pure cocoon models with a choked jet cannot be ruled out. If future observations continue to track our predictions, we expect that the radio and X-ray emission will remain detectable until ∼1000 days post-merger.

Original language	English
Article number	L18
Journal	The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Volume	863
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aad637
Publication status	Published - 13 Aug 2018
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

gravitational waves
relativistic processes
Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

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Alexander, K. D., Margutti, R., Blanchard, P. K., Fong, W., Berger, E., Hajela, A., Eftekhari, T., Chornock, R., Cowperthwaite, P. S., Giannios, D., Guidorzi, C., Kathirgamaraju, A., MacFadyen, A., Metzger, B. D., Nicholl, M., Sironi, L., Villar, V. A., Williams, P. K. G., Xie, X., & Zrake, J. (2018). A decline in the X-ray through radio emission from GW170817 continues to support an off-axis structured jet. The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 863(2), Article L18. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aad637

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title = "A decline in the X-ray through radio emission from GW170817 continues to support an off-axis structured jet",

abstract = "We present new observations of the binary neutron star merger GW170817 at Δt ≈ 220–290 days post-merger, at radio (Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array; VLA), X-ray (Chandra X-ray Observatory), and optical (Hubble Space Telescope; HST) wavelengths. These observations provide the first evidence for a turnover in the X-ray light curve, mirroring a decline in the radio emission at ≳5σ significance. The radio-to-X-ray spectral energy distribution exhibits no evolution into the declining phase. Our full multi-wavelength data set is consistent with the predicted behavior of our previously published models of a successful structured jet expanding into a low-density circumbinary medium, but pure cocoon models with a choked jet cannot be ruled out. If future observations continue to track our predictions, we expect that the radio and X-ray emission will remain detectable until ∼1000 days post-merger.",

keywords = "gravitational waves, relativistic processes, Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena",

author = "Alexander, {K. D.} and R. Margutti and Blanchard, {P. K.} and W. Fong and E. Berger and A. Hajela and T. Eftekhari and R. Chornock and Cowperthwaite, {P. S.} and D. Giannios and C. Guidorzi and A. Kathirgamaraju and A. MacFadyen and Metzger, {B. D.} and M. Nicholl and L. Sironi and Villar, {V. A.} and Williams, {P. K. G.} and X. Xie and J. Zrake",

year = "2018",

month = aug,

day = "13",

doi = "10.3847/2041-8213/aad637",

language = "English",

volume = "863",

journal = "The Astrophysical Journal Letters",

issn = "2041-8213",

publisher = "IOP Publishing Ltd",

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Alexander, KD, Margutti, R, Blanchard, PK, Fong, W, Berger, E, Hajela, A, Eftekhari, T, Chornock, R, Cowperthwaite, PS, Giannios, D, Guidorzi, C, Kathirgamaraju, A, MacFadyen, A, Metzger, BD, Nicholl, M, Sironi, L, Villar, VA, Williams, PKG, Xie, X & Zrake, J 2018, 'A decline in the X-ray through radio emission from GW170817 continues to support an off-axis structured jet', The Astrophysical Journal Letters, vol. 863, no. 2, L18. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aad637

TY - JOUR

T1 - A decline in the X-ray through radio emission from GW170817 continues to support an off-axis structured jet

AU - Alexander, K. D.

AU - Margutti, R.

AU - Blanchard, P. K.

AU - Fong, W.

AU - Berger, E.

AU - Hajela, A.

AU - Eftekhari, T.

AU - Chornock, R.

AU - Cowperthwaite, P. S.

AU - Giannios, D.

AU - Guidorzi, C.

AU - Kathirgamaraju, A.

AU - MacFadyen, A.

AU - Metzger, B. D.

AU - Nicholl, M.

AU - Sironi, L.

AU - Villar, V. A.

AU - Williams, P. K. G.

AU - Xie, X.

AU - Zrake, J.

PY - 2018/8/13

Y1 - 2018/8/13

N2 - We present new observations of the binary neutron star merger GW170817 at Δt ≈ 220–290 days post-merger, at radio (Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array; VLA), X-ray (Chandra X-ray Observatory), and optical (Hubble Space Telescope; HST) wavelengths. These observations provide the first evidence for a turnover in the X-ray light curve, mirroring a decline in the radio emission at ≳5σ significance. The radio-to-X-ray spectral energy distribution exhibits no evolution into the declining phase. Our full multi-wavelength data set is consistent with the predicted behavior of our previously published models of a successful structured jet expanding into a low-density circumbinary medium, but pure cocoon models with a choked jet cannot be ruled out. If future observations continue to track our predictions, we expect that the radio and X-ray emission will remain detectable until ∼1000 days post-merger.

AB - We present new observations of the binary neutron star merger GW170817 at Δt ≈ 220–290 days post-merger, at radio (Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array; VLA), X-ray (Chandra X-ray Observatory), and optical (Hubble Space Telescope; HST) wavelengths. These observations provide the first evidence for a turnover in the X-ray light curve, mirroring a decline in the radio emission at ≳5σ significance. The radio-to-X-ray spectral energy distribution exhibits no evolution into the declining phase. Our full multi-wavelength data set is consistent with the predicted behavior of our previously published models of a successful structured jet expanding into a low-density circumbinary medium, but pure cocoon models with a choked jet cannot be ruled out. If future observations continue to track our predictions, we expect that the radio and X-ray emission will remain detectable until ∼1000 days post-merger.

KW - gravitational waves

KW - relativistic processes

KW - Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

U2 - 10.3847/2041-8213/aad637

DO - 10.3847/2041-8213/aad637

M3 - Article

SN - 2041-8213

VL - 863

JO - The Astrophysical Journal Letters

JF - The Astrophysical Journal Letters

IS - 2

M1 - L18

ER -

A decline in the X-ray through radio emission from GW170817 continues to support an off-axis structured jet

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Keywords

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