Research report 2017 - Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics
Gravitational waves and emitted light reveal merger of two neutron stars – and a kilonova
Authors
Anders Jerkstrand, Hans-Thomas Janka
Departments
Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik, Garching
Summary
On 17 August 2017, two merging neutron stars were seen for the first time by their gravitational wave si gnal as well as high-energy gamma radiation. Follow-up observations revealed optical emission powered by the radioactive decay of r-process elements - a so-called kilonova.