What specific characteristic regarding the detected gravitational wave signature suggested the AT2025ulz event involved a sub-solar mass neutron star merger?

Answer

The gravitational wave signature suggested at least one merging neutron star was sub-solar mass.

The event designated AT2025ulz provided potential evidence for the complex 'superkilonova' scenario, where a supernova is immediately followed by a neutron star merger (a kilonova). The critical evidence came from the gravitational wave detection, which was recorded hours before the associated light signal. Standard neutron star merger theories predict certain mass ranges for the merging objects. In the case of AT2025ulz, the derived gravitational wave signature strongly implied that at least one of the objects involved in the final merger was smaller than the mass of the Sun (sub-solar mass). Theoretical models suggest that forming such a low-mass neutron star requires an extremely rapidly spinning progenitor star, making this observation a key piece of evidence supporting a new, highly specific category of cosmic violence involving unusual progenitor conditions.

What specific characteristic regarding the detected gravitational wave signature suggested the AT2025ulz event involved a sub-solar mass neutron star merger?

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