Optical follow-up of the neutron star-black hole mergers S200105ae and S200115j

Understand

LIGO and Virgo's third observing run (O3) revealed the first neutron star-black hole (NSBH) merger candidates in gravitational waves.

• These events are predicted to synthesize r-process elements creating optical/near-IR "kilonova" (KN) emission.
• The joint gravitational-wave (GW) and electromagnetic detection of an NSBH merger could be used to constrain the equation of state of dense nuclear matter, and independently measure the local expansion rate of the universe.
• Here, we present the optical follow-up and analysis of two of the only three high-significance NSBH merger candidates detected to date, S200105ae and S200115j, with the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF).