A search for radio emission from double-neutron star merger GW190425 using Apertif
- Creators
- Boersma, O. M.
- van Leeuwen, J.
- Adams, E. A. K.
- Adebahr, B.
- Kutkin, A.
- Oosterloo, T.
- de Blok, W. J. G.
- van den Brink, R.
- Coolen, A. H. W. M.
- Connor, L.
- Damstra, S.
- Dénes, H.
- Hess, K. M.
- van der Hulst, J. M.
- Hut, B.
- Ivashina, M.
- Loose, G. M.
- Lucero, D. M.
- Maan, Y.
- Mika, Á.
- Moss, V. A.
- Mulder, H.
- Oostrum, L. C.
- Ruiter, M.
- van der Schuur, D.
- Smits, R.
- Vermaas, N. J.
- Vohl, D.
- Ziemke, J.
Abstract
Context. Detection of the electromagnetic emission from coalescing binary neutron stars (BNS) is important for understanding the merger and afterglow. Aims. We present a search for a radio counterpart to the gravitational-wave (GW) source GW190425, a BNS merger, using Apertif on the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT). Methods. We observed a field of high probability in the associated localisation region for three epochs at ΔT = 68, 90, 109 d post merger. We identified all sources that exhibit flux variations consistent with the expected afterglow emission of GW190425. We also looked for possible transients. These are sources that are only present in one epoch. In addition, we quantified our ability to search for radio afterglows in the fourth and future observing runs of the GW detector network using Monte Carlo simulations. Results. We found 25 afterglow candidates based on their variability. None of these could be associated with a possible host galaxy at the luminosity distance of GW190425. We also found 55 transient afterglow candidates that were only detected in one epoch. All of these candidates turned out to be image artefacts. In the fourth observing run, we predict that up to three afterglows will be detectable by Apertif. Conclusions. While we did not find a source related to the afterglow emission of GW190425, the search validates our methods for future searches of radio afterglows.
Additional Information
© ESO 2021. Article published by EDP Sciences. Received 16 February 2021; Accepted 7 April 2021; Published online 18 June 2021. We thank Antonia Rowlinson, Mark Kuiack and Kelly Gourdji for the helpful discussions and suggestions about TraP. We thank David Gardenier for a helpful discussion about the Monte Carlo simulations. We thank the anonymous referee for their thoughtful comments which have certainly improved this work. This research was supported by Vici research program 'ARGO' with project number 639.043.815, financed by the Dutch Research Council (NWO). J.V.L., Y.M., L.C.O. and R.S. furthermore acknowledge funding from the European Research Council under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP/2007-2013)/ERC Grant Agreement No. 617199 ('ALERT'), while JMvdH acknowledges ERC funding from (FP/2007-2013)/ERC Grant Agreement No. 291531 ('HIStoryNU'). EAKA is supported by the WISE research programme, which is financed by NWO. DV acknowledges support from the Netherlands eScience Center (NLeSC) under grant ASDI.15.406. We make use of data from the Apertif system installed at the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope owned by ASTRON. ASTRON, The Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, is an institute of NWO.Attached Files
Published - aa40578-21.pdf
Accepted Version - 2104.04280.pdf
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Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 109883
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20210716-203108331
- 639.043.815
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO)
- 617199
- European Research Council (ERC)
- 291531
- European Research Council (ERC)
- ASDI.15.406
- Netherlands eScience Center
- Created
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2021-07-16Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2021-07-16Created from EPrint's last_modified field