Merging compact binaries are widely thought to produce short-GRBs and are alsothe most promising targets for the new gravitational wave detectors. Recently wefound evidence for an r-process kilonova accompanying a SGRB, which bothconfirms the compact binary model, and provides an alternative, unbeamed EMsignal of GW events. It also opens a route to estimating the yield of suchevents and hence their contribution to global heavy element production.Understanding the range of KN behaviour requires deep, multiwavelength followupof future events. X-ray observations are key to quantifying the contributions ofrelativistic jet emission and later time engine activity (accretion or magnetarspin-down), and distinguishing mergers from unrelated interlopers amongst GW counterpart candidates.
Instrument
EMOS1, EMOS2, EPN, OM, RGS1, RGS2
Temporal Coverage
2016-08-25T16:45:16Z/2016-09-01T02:55:52Z
Version
17.56_20190403_1200
Mission Description
The European Space Agencys (ESA) X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton) was launched by an Ariane 504 on December 10th 1999. XMM-Newton is ESAs second cornerstone of the Horizon 2000 Science Programme. It carries 3 high throughput X-ray telescopes with an unprecedented effective area, and an optical monitor, the first flown on a X-ray observatory. The large collecting area and ability to make long uninterrupted exposures provide highly sensitive observations. Since Earths atmosphere blocks out all X-rays, only a telescope in space can detect and study celestial X-ray sources. The XMM-Newton mission is helping scientists to solve a number of cosmic mysteries, ranging from the enigmatic black holes to the origins of the Universe itself. Observing time on XMM-Newton is being made available to the scientific community, applying for observational periods on a competitive basis.
European Space Agency, Prof Nial Tanvir, 2017, 'Compact binary mergers: SGRBs comma r-process kilonovae & gravitational-wave sources', 17.56_20190403_1200, European Space Agency, https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-31m195y
