Discovery of the neutron stars merger GW170817/GRB170817A and Binary Stellar Evolution

TL;DR

The paper discusses the discovery of a neutron star merger GW170817/GRB170817A, its implications for stellar evolution, and confirms theoretical predictions about neutron star formation and merger rates.

Contribution

It links the multimessenger observation of GW170817 to theoretical models, validating predictions about neutron star mergers and their rates.

Findings

Merger observed at 40 Mpc distance aligns with initial theoretical predictions.

Estimated neutron star merger rate is approximately 10,000 Gpc^-3.

Observation supports models of binary stellar evolution and neutron star formation.

Abstract

The Multimessenger discovery of the merger of two neutron stars on August 17, 2017, GW170817 / GRB170817A, accompanied by a gamma-ray burst and an optical kilonova, is a triumph of the ideas about the evolution of the baryon component in the Universe. Despite the current uniqueness of this observation, the obtained variety of experimental data makes it possible right now to draw important theoretical conclusions about the origin of the double neutron star, their merger, and the subsequent flare-up of the electromagnetic radiation. We present that the discovery of the merger at a distance of 40 Mpc is in full agreement with the very first calculations of the Scenario Machine (Lipunov et al. 1987). In modern terms, the predicted rate is ~ 10 000 Gpc-3.