A new redshift-correlation technique with third-generation GW detectors can constrain the BNS contribution to cosmic r-process nucleosynthesis to 5-6% precision via Fisher forecasts on mock bright- and dark-siren data.
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The Electromagnetic Counterpart of the Binary Neutron Star Merger LIGO/VIRGO GW170817. II. UV, Optical, and Near-IR Light Curves and Comparison to Kilonova Models
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abstract
We present UV, optical, and NIR photometry of the first electromagnetic counterpart to a gravitational wave source from Advanced LIGO/Virgo, the binary neutron star merger GW170817. Our data set extends from the discovery of the optical counterpart at $0.47$ days to $18.5$ days post-merger, and includes observations with the Dark Energy Camera (DECam), Gemini-South/FLAMINGOS-2 (GS/F2), and the {\it Hubble Space Telescope} ({\it HST}). The spectral energy distribution (SED) inferred from this photometry at $0.6$ days is well described by a blackbody model with $T\approx 8300$ K, a radius of $R\approx 4.5\times 10^{14}$ cm (corresponding to an expansion velocity of $v\approx 0.3c$), and a bolometric luminosity of $L_{\rm bol}\approx 5\times10^{41}$ erg s$^{-1}$. At $1.5$ days we find a multi-component SED across the optical and NIR, and subsequently we observe rapid fading in the UV and blue optical bands and significant reddening of the optical/NIR colors. Modeling the entire data set we find that models with heating from radioactive decay of $^{56}$Ni, or those with only a single component of opacity from $r$-process elements, fail to capture the rapid optical decline and red optical/NIR colors. Instead, models with two components consistent with lanthanide-poor and lanthanide-rich ejecta provide a good fit to the data, the resulting "blue" component has $M_\mathrm{ej}^\mathrm{blue}\approx 0.01$ M$_\odot$ and $v_\mathrm{ej}^\mathrm{blue}\approx 0.3$c, and the "red" component has $M_\mathrm{ej}^\mathrm{red}\approx 0.04$ M$_\odot$ and $v_\mathrm{ej}^\mathrm{red}\approx 0.1$c. These ejecta masses are broadly consistent with the estimated $r$-process production rate required to explain the Milky Way $r$-process abundances, providing the first evidence that BNS mergers can be a dominant site of $r$-process enrichment.
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In massive self-gravitating black hole disks, magnetic turbulence damps the m=1 instability and gravitational waves when aligned with the spin, but strongly enhances both when the disk is antialigned.
Beta particles from r-process decay heat and ionize kilonova ejecta non-locally, so transport and detailed atomic data change the predicted temperature and ionization state.
High-resolution GR neutrino-radiation MHD simulation of 1.35-1.35 Msun BNS merger shows KHI-driven B-field amplification to magnetar levels (~10^50 erg, factor >=316) in 3 ms post-merger.
Magnetically driven shocks from neutron star merger remnants can reheat ejecta to nuclear statistical equilibrium, alter r-process yields, and produce observable changes in kilonova color and light curves.
In post-merger disks, electron-lepton-number crossings drive fast flavor instabilities that enhance heavy lepton neutrino fluxes, while collisional instabilities are subdominant and asymmetrically raise heavy-flavor antineutrino energies.
citing papers explorer
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Inferring the role of binary neutron star mergers in r-process nucleosynthesis with multi-messenger observations using Cosmic Explorer and Einstein Telescope
A new redshift-correlation technique with third-generation GW detectors can constrain the BNS contribution to cosmic r-process nucleosynthesis to 5-6% precision via Fisher forecasts on mock bright- and dark-siren data.
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Multimessenger Signatures of Tilted, Self-Gravitating, Black Hole Disks
In massive self-gravitating black hole disks, magnetic turbulence damps the m=1 instability and gravitational waves when aligned with the spin, but strongly enhances both when the disk is antialigned.
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Beta-Particle Transport and Thermalization in Kilonova Ejecta with Detailed Atomic Microphysics
Beta particles from r-process decay heat and ionize kilonova ejecta non-locally, so transport and detailed atomic data change the predicted temperature and ionization state.
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A magnetar formation in binary neutron star merger
High-resolution GR neutrino-radiation MHD simulation of 1.35-1.35 Msun BNS merger shows KHI-driven B-field amplification to magnetar levels (~10^50 erg, factor >=316) in 3 ms post-merger.
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Effects of magnetically driven shocks on nucleosynthesis and kilonovae from neutron star mergers
Magnetically driven shocks from neutron star merger remnants can reheat ejecta to nuclear statistical equilibrium, alter r-process yields, and produce observable changes in kilonova color and light curves.
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Neutrino transport and flavor instabilities in a post-merger disk
In post-merger disks, electron-lepton-number crossings drive fast flavor instabilities that enhance heavy lepton neutrino fluxes, while collisional instabilities are subdominant and asymmetrically raise heavy-flavor antineutrino energies.