2011A&A...529A..97D

We aim to estimate the rate of compact binaries and compare these with similar estimates based on either the observation of these binaries or population synthesis models. Since the merger of these compact objects are likely to produce short gamma-ray bursts, conclusions about the opening angle of these bursts can be made. We use a set of observed redshift measurements of short gamma-ray bursts to model the rate of these merger events in the nearby universe. Various corrections are included in the calculation, such as the field-of-view of the satellite missions, the beaming factors of gamma-ray burst and other parameters. The computed rate estimates are compared to other rate estimates, based on observations of binary neutron stars and population synthesis models. Given the upper limit established by LIGO/Virgo measurements, it is possible to draw conclusions about the beaming angle of gamma-ray bursts.