Compact object coalescence rate estimation from short gamma-ray burst
  observations
  Recent observational and theoretical results suggest that Short-duration
Gamma-Ray Bursts (SGRBs) are originated by the merger of compact binary systems
of two neutron stars or a neutron star and a black hole. The observation of
SGRBs with known redshifts allows astronomers to infer the merger rate of these
systems in the local universe. We use data from the SWIFT satellite to estimate
this rate to be in the range $\sim 500$-1500 Gpc$^{-3}$yr$^{-1}$. This result
is consistent with earlier published results which were obtained through
alternative approaches. We estimate the number of coincident observations of
gravitational-wave signals with SGRBs in the advanced gravitational-wave
detector era. By assuming that all SGRBs are created by neutron star-neutron
star (neutron star-black hole) mergers, we estimate the expected rate of
coincident observations to be in the range $\simeq 0.2$ to 1 ($\simeq 1$ to 3)
yr$^{-1}$.
