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The origin of polarization in kilonovae and the case of the gravitational-wave counterpart AT 2017gfo
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Bulla, M., Covino, S., Kyutoku, K., Tanaka, M., Maund, J. R., Patat, F., Toma, K., Wiersema, Klaas, Bruten, J., Jin, Z. P. and Testa, V. (2019) The origin of polarization in kilonovae and the case of the gravitational-wave counterpart AT 2017gfo. Nature Astronomy, 3 . pp. 99-106. doi:10.1038/s41550-018-0593-y
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WRAP-origin-polarization-kilonovae-case-gravitational-wave-Bulla-2018.pdf - Accepted Version - Requires a PDF viewer. Download (1284Kb) | Preview |
Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-018-0593-y
Abstract
The gravitational-wave event GW 170817 was generated by the coalescence of two neutron stars and produced an electromagnetic transient, labelled AT 2017gfo, that was the target of a massive observational campaign. Polarimetry is a powerful diagnostic tool for probing the geometry and emission processes of unresolved sources, and the observed linear polarization for this event was consistent with being mostly induced by intervening dust, suggesting that the intrinsic emission was weakly polarized (P < 0.4–0.5%). Here we present a detailed analysis of the linear polarization expected from a merging neutron-star binary system by means of 3D Monte Carlo radiative transfer simulations assuming a range of possible configurations, wavelengths, epochs and viewing angles. We find that polarization originates from the non-homogeneous opacity distribution within the ejecta and can reach levels of 1% at early times (one to two days after the merger) and in the optical R band. Smaller polarization signals are expected at later epochs and different wavelengths. From the viewing-angle dependence of the polarimetric signal, we constrain the observer orientation of AT 2017gfo to within about 65° from the polar direction. The detection of non-zero polarization in future events will unambiguously reveal the presence of a lanthanide-free ejecta component and unveil its spatial and angular distribution.
| Item Type: | Journal Article | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Subjects: | Q Science > QB Astronomy Q Science > QC Physics |
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| Divisions: | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Physics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Gravitational waves , Neutron stars , Polarization (Nuclear physics) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | Nature Astronomy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publisher: | Nature Publishing Group | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ISSN: | 2397-3366 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Official Date: | 1 January 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dates: |
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| Volume: | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page Range: | pp. 99-106 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DOI: | 10.1038/s41550-018-0593-y | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status: | Peer Reviewed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publication Status: | Published | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Access rights to Published version: | Restricted or Subscription Access | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Funder: | Royal Society (Great Britain). University Research Fellowship | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| RIOXX Funder/Project Grant: |
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