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Superluminal motion of a relativistic jet in the neutron star merger GW170817

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8 Pith papers citing it
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abstract

The binary neutron star merger GW170817 was accompanied by radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum and localized to the galaxy NGC 4993 at a distance of 41+/-3 Mpc. The radio and X-ray afterglows of GW170817 exhibited delayed onset, a gradual rise in the emission with time as t^0.8, a peak at about 150 days post-merger, followed by a relatively rapid decline. To date, various models have been proposed to explain the afterglow emission, including a choked-jet cocoon and a successful-jet cocoon (a.k.a. structured jet). However, the observational data have remained inconclusive as to whether GW170817 launched a successful relativistic jet. Here we show, through Very Long Baseline Interferometry, that the compact radio source associated with GW170817 exhibits superluminal motion between two epochs at 75 and 230 days post-merger. This measurement breaks the degeneracy between the models and indicates that, while the early-time radio emission was powered by a wider-angle outflow (cocoon), the late-time emission was most likely dominated by an energetic and narrowly-collimated jet, with an opening angle of <5 degrees, and observed from a viewing angle of about 20 degrees. The imaging of a collimated relativistic outflow emerging from GW170817 adds substantial weight to the growing evidence linking binary neutron star mergers and short gamma-ray bursts.

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UNVERDICTED 8

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representative citing papers

A magnetar formation in binary neutron star merger

astro-ph.HE · 2026-06-09 · unverdicted · novelty 6.0

High-resolution GR neutrino-radiation MHD simulation of 1.35-1.35 Msun BNS merger shows KHI-driven B-field amplification to magnetar levels (~10^50 erg, factor >=316) in 3 ms post-merger.

Tests of scalar polarizations with multi-messenger events

gr-qc · 2026-04-27 · unverdicted · novelty 4.0

Bayesian analysis of GW170817 with PPE framework and EM polarization constraints shows mild preference for scalar mode in quadrupole harmonics and improves bounds on non-GR parameters by up to 60%.

Science Case for the Einstein Telescope

astro-ph.CO · 2019-12-05 · unverdicted · novelty 3.0

The Einstein Telescope will enable gravitational-wave observations up to cosmological distances, opening avenues for discoveries in astrophysics, cosmology, and fundamental physics.

SKAO and Gamma-Ray Synergies

astro-ph.HE · 2026-06-26 · unverdicted · novelty 2.0

Overview of synergies between SKA radio observations and gamma-ray facilities for studying transient, variable, and steady GeV-TeV sources.

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