Fading of the X-ray Afterglow of Neutron Star Merger GW170817/GRB170817A at 260 days

TL;DR

Deep Chandra observations at 260 days post-merger confirm the X-ray afterglow of GW170817/GRB170817A is fading, indicating the outflow is decelerating or the jet core emission has become visible.

Contribution

First detection of X-ray fading at 260 days post-merger, providing new constraints on the afterglow evolution and outflow dynamics.

Findings

X-ray flux decreased significantly between 160 and 260 days

X-ray photon index steepened, ruling out cooling frequency passage

Results support decelerating outflow or off-axis jet models

Abstract

The multi-wavelength electromagnetic afterglow from the binary neutron star merger GW170817/GRB170817A has displayed long-term power-law brightening, and presented challenges to post-merger models of the non-thermal emission. The most recent radio observations up to 200 days post-merger suggest that the afterglow has finally peaked and may now be fading, but fading has not been confirmed in the X-rays. We present new, deep Chandra observations of GW170817/GRB170817A at 260 days post-merger that reveal an X-ray flux of F{0.3-8keV} = 1.1 x 10^-14 erg/s/cm^2, and confirm that the X-ray light curve is now also fading. Through rigorous comparisons to previous Chandra observations of GW170817/GRB170817A, X-ray fading is detected between 160 and 260 days post-merger at a 4.4 sigma significance, based on the X-ray data alone. We further constrain the X-ray photon index to steepen by <0.5 at 3.1 sigma significance during this period, which disfavors the passing of the synchrotron cooling frequency through the X-ray band as the cause of the observed fading. These observations remain consistent with optically thin synchrotron afterglow emission. If this afterglow emission arises from a quasi-spherical mildly relativistic outflow, the X-ray fading suggests that the outflow is now decelerating. Alternatively, if this afterglow arises from a successful off-axis structured jet, the X-ray fading suggests that emission from the jet core has already entered the line of sight.