Theodoros Bitsakis

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present ultraviolet, optical, and infrared light curves of SSS17a extending from 10.9 hours to 18 days post-merger, showing that the late-time light curve indicates that SSS 17a produced at least 0.05 solar masses of heavy elements, demonstrating that neutron star mergers play a role in rapid neutron capture (r-process) nucleosynthesis in the universe.

TL;DR: The late-time light curve indicates that SSS17a produced at least ~0.05 solar masses of heavy elements, demonstrating that neutron star mergers play a role in rapid neutron capture (r-process) nucleosynthesis in the universe.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors reported time-series spectroscopy of SSS17a from 11.75 hours until 8.5 days after the merger, and measured the photosphere cooling from 11, 000 − 900 + 3400 to 9300 − 300 + 300 kelvin and determined a photospheric velocity of roughly 30% of the speed of light.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors present detailed observations of the gas and dust continuum of NGC 1266 at millimeter wavelengths and show that molecular gas is being driven out of the nuclear region at yr−1, of which the vast majority cannot escape the nucleus.

TL;DR: Spectra of a neutron star merger are unlike other astronomical transients and demonstrate rapid evolution of the source and Kilpatrick et al. show how these observations can be explained by an explosion known as a kilonova, which produces large quantities of heavy elements in nuclear reactions.