LOFAR 144-MHz follow-up observations of GW170817

Broderick JW, Shimwell TW, Gourdji K, Rowlinson A, Nissanke S, Hotokezaka K, Jonker PG, Tasse C, Hardcastle MJ, Oonk JBR, Fender RP, Wijers RAMJ, Shulevski A, Stewart AJ, Ter Veen S, Moss VA, Van Der Wiel MHD, Nichols DA, Piette A, Bell ME, Carbone D, Corbel S, Eisloeffel J, Griessmeier JM, Keane EF, Law CJ, Munoz-Darias T, Pietka M, Serylak M, Van Der Horst AJ, Van Leeuwen J, Wijnands R, Zarka P, Anderson JM, Bentum MJ, Blaauw R, Brouw WN, Brueggen M, Ciardi B, De Vos M, Duscha S, Fallows RA, Franzen TMO, Garrett MA, Gunst AW, Hoeft M, Hoerandel JR, Iacobelli M, Juette E, Koopmans LVE, Krankowski A, Maat P, Mann G, Mulder H, Nelles A, Paas H, Pandey-Pommier M, Pekal R, Reich W, Roettgering HJA, Schwarz DJ, Smirnov O, Soida M, Toribio MC, Van Haarlem MP, Van Weeren RJ, Vocks C, Wucknitz O, Zucca P (2020)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2020

Journal

Book Volume: 494

Pages Range: 5110-5117

Journal Issue: 4

DOI: 10.1093/mnras/staa950

Abstract

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.

Authors with CRIS profile

Involved external institutions

University of Amsterdam Netherlands (NL) University of Cambridge United Kingdom (GB) University of Orléans / Université d'Orléans France (FR) University of Hertfordshire United Kingdom (GB) Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg (TLS) - Karl-Schwarzschild-Observatorium Germany (DE) Astron Netherlands (NL) University of Sydney (USYD) Australia (AU) South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) South Africa (ZA) U.S. Naval Research Laboratory United States (USA) (US) University of Paris 7 - Denis Diderot / Université Paris VII Denis Diderot France (FR) Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) Spain (ES) Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie / Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy Germany (DE) Leiden University Netherlands (NL) University of Groningen / Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Netherlands (NL) Universität Bielefeld Germany (DE) Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam / Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam Germany (DE) Jagiellonian University / Uniwersytet Jagielloński (UJ) Poland (PL) Rhodes University South Africa (ZA) Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) Germany (DE) Princeton University United States (USA) (US) Netherlands Institute for Space Research / Stichting Ruimteonderzoek Nederland (SRON) Netherlands (NL) Universität Hamburg (UHH) Germany (DE) University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Australia (AU) University of Oxford United Kingdom (GB) National Institute for Subatomic Physics / Nationaal instituut voor subatomaire fysica (Nikhef) Netherlands (NL) California Institute of Technology (Caltech) United States (USA) (US) University of the Virgin Islands Virgin Islands, U.S. (VI) PSL Research University / Université de recherche Paris Sciences et Lettres France (FR) Chalmers University of Technology / Chalmers tekniska högskola Sweden (SE) Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Center / Poznańskie Centrum Superkomputerowo-Sieciowe Poland (PL) Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre United Kingdom (GB) University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn Poland (PL) Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V. (MPG) / Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science Germany (DE) George Washington University (GWU) United States (USA) (US) Technische Universität Berlin Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Broderick, J.W., Shimwell, T.W., Gourdji, K., Rowlinson, A., Nissanke, S., Hotokezaka, K.,... Zucca, P. (2020). LOFAR 144-MHz follow-up observations of GW170817. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 494(4), 5110-5117. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa950

MLA:

Broderick, J. W., et al. "LOFAR 144-MHz follow-up observations of GW170817." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 494.4 (2020): 5110-5117.

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