The GRAWITA (GRAvitational Wave Inaf TeAm) collaboration has the aim of carrying out follow-up observational campaigns in the radio, optical, near-infrared, X-ray, and gamma-ray bands of the gravitational wave (GW) events. GW triggers are released by the ground-based interferometers The GRAWITA (GRAvitational Wave Inaf TeAm) collaboration has the aim of carrying out follow-up observational campaigns in the radio, optical, near-infrared, X-ray, and gamma-ray bands of the gravitational wave (GW) events. GW triggers are released by the ground-based interferometers network currently composed of the two Advanced LIGO (USA), the Advanced Virgo (Italy) and Kagra (Japan). Ground-based facilities used by GRAWITA include the VLT Survey Telescope, the Large Binocular Telescope, the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo, the Rapid Eye Mount Telescope, the Asiago and Campo Imperatore Observatories, and the Sardinia Radio Telescope. The exploitation of high-energy space-borne (primarily the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory) facilities is also planned.

On August 17th 2017 the first electromagnetic counterpart of a gravitational wave (GW) event originated by the coalescence of a double neutron star system (GW 170817, Abbott et al. 2017 Phys. Review) was finally observed. A world-wide extensive observing campaign was carried out to follow-up and study this source, with the forefront participation of our team.

Our team was fully deployed for the most exciting GW event identified so far: GW170817. We secured continuous monitoring with various ground-based facilities between 12 hours and 15.5 days after the GW/GRB trigger. We published a series of articles focused on the electromagnetic counterpart properties, reporting and interpreting the results of this amazing observational campaign. We have also been involved in most of the follow-up activities for other GW events detected in the past five years. Work goes on!

The INAF/Brera GRAWITA members are:
Stefano Covino (Science Board member)
Sergio Campana
Gianpiero Tagliaferri
Paolo D’Avanzo
Andrea Melandri
Gabriele Ghisellini
Giancarlo Ghirlanda
Mary Edvige Ravasio
Om Sharan Salafia
Maria Grazia Bernardini
Gabriele Ponti

Facilities used by GRAWITA

Facilities used by GRAWITA. Left top: VLT Survey Telescope - Rapid Eye Mount Telescope - Large Binocular Telescope - Telescopio Nazionale Galileo - Telescopi di Asiago - Telescopi di Campo Imperatore - Sardinia Radio Telescope - Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory.