Insight-HXMT observations of the first binary neutron star merger GW170817

• 来源期刊: 中国科学:物理学 力学 天文学（英文版）
• 年，卷（期）: 2018,（3）
• 页码范围: 26-33
• 页数: 8页
• 语种: 英文
• DOI: 10.1007/s11433-017-9107-5

摘要

Finding the electromagnetic (EM) counterpart of binary compact star merger,especially the binary neutron star (BNS) merger,is critically important for gravitational wave (GW) astronomy,cosmology and fundamental physics.On Aug.17,2017,Advanced LIGO and Fermi/GBM independently triggered the first BNS merger,GW170817,and its high energy EM counterpart,GRB 170817A,respectively,resulting in a global observation campaign covering gamma-ray,X-ray,UV,optical,IR,radio as well as neutrinos.The High Energy X-ray telescope (HE) onboard Insight-HXMT (Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope) is the unique high-energy gamma-ray telescope that monitored the entire GW localization area and especially the optical counterpart (SSS17a/AT2017gfo) with very large collection area (～1000 cm2) and microsecond time resolution in 0.2-5 MeV.In addition,Insight-HXMT quickly implemented a Target of Opportunity (ToO) observation to scan the GW localization area for potential X-ray emission from the GW source.Although Insight-HXMT did not detect any significant high energy (0.2-5 MeV) radiation from GW170817,its observation helped to confirm the unexpected weak and soft nature of GRB 170817A.Meanwhile,Insight-HXMT/HE provides one of the most stringent constraints (～10-7 to 10-6 erg/cm2/s) for both GRB170817A and any other possible precursor or extended emissions in 0.2-5 MeV,which help us to better understand the properties of EM radiation from this BNS merger.Therefore the observation of Insight-HXMT constitutes an important chapter in the full context of multi-wavelength and multi-messenger observation of this historical GW event.