Ultraswift: A coordinated effort to detect prompt EM emission from binary neutron star mergers

          @misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:25080045,
            doi = {10.48660/25080045},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/25080045},
            author = {},
            keywords = {Cosmology, Particle Physics, Strong Gravity},
            language = {en},
            title = {Ultraswift: A coordinated effort to detect prompt EM emission from binary neutron star mergers},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
            year = {2025},
            month = {aug},
            note = {PIRSA:25080045 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
          }
          

Abstract

To date only one astronomical event has been observed in both gravitational waves and electromagnetic waves -- the merger of two neutron stars known as GW170817. This event was detected in gamma rays simultaneously with gravitational waves, but was poorly localized initially. No other counterparts were detected until localization was improved leading to an 11 hour dearth of data in other EM wavelengths. GW170817 also demonstrated that realistic neutron star mergers may have off-axis GRB observations that could be sub-threshold in modern instruments. Here we describe an ongoing coordinated effort to detect binary neutron stars before they merge using gravitational waves and to slew NASA's Swift observatory to catch prompt potentially sub-threshold GRB and x-ray emission. If successful, this ambitious project would pin down the event location allowing for prompt follow-up observations across all other wavelengths. Multimessenger observations of binary neutron star mergers (gravitational waves and electromagnetic waves) have deep implications for nuclear physics, strong gravity and cosmology.