A search for radio emission from double-neutron star merger GW190425 using Apertif

Understand

Detection of the electromagnetic emission from coalescing binary neutron stars (BNS) is important for understanding the merger and afterglow.

• We present a search for a radio counterpart to the gravitational-wave source GW190425, a BNS merger, using Apertif on the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT).
• We observe a field of high probability in the associated localisation region for 3 epochs at 68, 90 and 109 days post merger.
• We identify all sources that exhibit flux variations consistent with the expected afterglow emission of GW190425.