Kilonova/Macronova Emission from Compact Binary Mergers

Understand

We review current understanding of kilonova/macronova emission from compact binary mergers (mergers of two neutron stars or a neutron star and a black hole).

• Kilonova/macronova is optical and near-infrared emission powered by radioactive decays of r-process nuclei.
• Emission from the dynamical ejecta with ~0.01 Msun is likely to have a luminosity of ~10^{40}-10^{41} erg s^{-1} with a characteristic timescale of about 1 week.
• The spectral peak is located in red optical or near-infrared wavelengths.