An Ordinary Short Gamma-Ray Burst with Extraordinary Implications: Fermi -GBM Detection of GRB 170817A

Journal Article · Fri Oct 20 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · Astrophysical Journal Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/AA8F41· OSTI ID:22654367

Goldstein, A.; Roberts, O. J.; Connaughton, V. ^[1]; Veres, P.; Briggs, M. S.; Hamburg, R.; Preece, R. D.; Poolakkil, S. ^[2]; Burns, E.; Racusin, J.; Canton, T. Dal ^[3]; Kocevski, D.; Wilson-Hodge, C. A.; Hui, C. M.; Littenberg, T. ^[4]; Kienlin, A. von ^[5]; Christensen, N.; Broida, J. ^[6]; Siellez, K. ^[7]; others, and

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1. Science and Technology Institute, Universities Space Research Association, Huntsville, AL 35805 (United States)
2. Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research, University of Alabama in Huntsville, 320 Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, AL 35899 (United States)
3. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)
4. Astrophysics Office, ST12, NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL 35812 (United States)
5. Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstrasse 1, D-85748 Garching (Germany)
6. Physics and Astronomy, Carleton College, MN 55057 (United States)
7. Center for Relativistic Astrophysics and School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332 (United States)

On 2017 August 17 at 12:41:06 UTC the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) detected and triggered on the short gamma-ray burst (GRB) 170817A. Approximately 1.7 s prior to this GRB, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory triggered on a binary compact merger candidate associated with the GRB. This is the first unambiguous coincident observation of gravitational waves and electromagnetic radiation from a single astrophysical source and marks the start of gravitational-wave multi-messenger astronomy. We report the GBM observations and analysis of this ordinary short GRB, which extraordinarily confirms that at least some short GRBs are produced by binary compact mergers.

• OSTI ID: 22654367
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal Letters, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Letters Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 848; ISSN 2041-8205
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
APPROXIMATIONS
ASTRONOMY
ASTROPHYSICS
COSMIC GAMMA BURSTS
DETECTION
GAMMA DETECTION
GAMMA RADIATION
GRAVITATIONAL WAVES
INTERFEROMETERS