They may be created by magnetic fields within the gas that surrounds the compact object.

The brightest part of the system is the accretion disk around the compact object.

Rotation, however, is expected to be a common feature of compact objects.

As such their frequency is linked to the mass of the compact object.

The energy emission is consistent with the model of a merger by compact objects.

There is some uncertainty about the mass of the compact object.

Both stars had ceased to produce energy through nuclear fusion and were now compact objects.

In some cases the compact object is a neutron star, but black holes are more common.

This alone suggests a very compact object as the source.

Indeed, the neutrino data indicate that a compact object did form at the star's core.