Kilonova
Appearance
A kilonova (also called a ‘macronova’ or an ‘r-process supernova’) occurs when two neutron stars or a neutron star and a black hole merge. Strong electromagnetic radiation is emitted due to the decay of heavy r-process ions that are produced and ejected fairly isotropically during the merger process — similar to a faint, short-lived supernova.[1] A kilonova is thought to be the result of merging of two compact objects, black hole and neutron star, in a binary system. The inspiral and merging of these compact objects are thought to be a strong source of gravitational waves (GWs).[2][3] It is also thought to be the progenitor of short gamma-ray bursts[2][3] and the predominant source of stable r-process elements in the Universe.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b Attention: This template ({{cite doi}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by doi:10.1038/nature12505, please use {{cite journal}} (if it was published in a bona fide academic journal, otherwise {{cite report}} with
|doi=10.1038/nature12505
instead. - ^ a b Metzger, B. D.; Martínez-Pinedo, G.; Darbha, S.; Quataert, E.; Arcones, A.; Kasen, D.; Thomas, R.; Nugent, P.; Panov, I. V.; Zinner, N. T. (August 2010). "Electromagnetic counterparts of compact object mergers powered by the radioactive decay of r-process nuclei". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 406 (4): 2650. arXiv:1001.5029. Bibcode:2010MNRAS.406.2650M. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.16864.x.
{{cite journal}}
: Unknown parameter|displayauthors=
ignored (|display-authors=
suggested) (help)CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - ^ a b Nicole Gugliucci (7 August 2013). "Kilonova Alert! Hubble Solves Gamma Ray Burst Mystery". news.discovery.com. Discovery Communications. Retrieved 22 January 2015.