Gamma-Rays from Kilonovae and the Cosmic Gamma-Ray Background

Abstract

The recent detection of the gravitational-wave event GW170817, produced by the coalescence of two neutron stars, and of its optical–infrared counterpart, powered by the radioactive decay of r -process elements, has opened a new window onto gamma-ray astronomy: the direct detection of photons coming from such decays. Here, we calculate the contribution of kilonovae to the diffuse gamma-ray background in the MeV range, using recent results on the spectra of the gamma-rays emitted in individual events, and we compare it with that from other sources. We find that the contribution from kilonovae is not dominant in such an energy range, but within current uncertainties, and its addition to other sources might help to fit the observational data.