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The diversity of kilonova emission in short gamma-ray bursts
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Gompertz, Benjamin P., Levan, Andrew J., Tanvir, N. R., Hjorth, J., Covino, S., Evans, P. A., Fruchter, A. S., González-Fernández, C., Jin, Z. P., Lyman, J. D., Oates, S. R., O’Brien, P. T. and Wiersema, Klaas (2018) The diversity of kilonova emission in short gamma-ray bursts. The Astrophysical Journal, 860 (1). 62. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aac206 ISSN 0004-637X.
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WRAP-diversity-kilonova-emission-short-gamma-ray-bursts-Gompertz-2018.pdf - Accepted Version - Requires a PDF viewer. Download (1008Kb) | Preview |
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aac206
Abstract
The historic first joint detection of both gravitational-wave and electromagnetic emission from a binary neutron star merger cemented the association between short gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs) and compact object mergers, as well as providing a well-sampled multi-wavelength light curve of a radioactive kilonova (KN) for the first time. Here, we compare the optical and near-infrared light curves of this KN, AT 2017gfo, to the counterparts of a sample of nearby (z < 0.5) SGRBs to characterize their diversity in terms of their brightness distribution. Although at similar epochs AT 2017gfo appears fainter than every SGRB-associated KN claimed so far, we find three bursts (GRBs 050509B, 061201, and 080905A) where, if the reported redshifts are correct, deep upper limits rule out the presence of a KN similar to AT 2017gfo by several magnitudes. Combined with the properties of previously claimed KNe in SGRBs this suggests considerable diversity in the properties of KN drawn from compact object mergers, despite the similar physical conditions that are expected in many NS–NS mergers. We find that observer angle alone is not able to explain this diversity, which is likely a product of the merger type (NS–NS versus NS–BH) and the detailed properties of the binary (mass ratio, spins etc.). Ultimately disentangling these properties should be possible through observations of SGRBs and gravitational-wave sources, providing direct measurements of heavy element enrichment throughout the universe.
| Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Subjects: | Q Science > QB Astronomy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Divisions: | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Physics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Gamma ray bursts, Neutron stars, Stars, New | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | The Astrophysical Journal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publisher: | Institute of Physics Publishing, Inc. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ISSN: | 0004-637X | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Official Date: | 12 June 2018 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dates: |
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| Volume: | 860 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number: | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Article Number: | 62 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DOI: | 10.3847/1538-4357/aac206 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publication Status: | Published | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reuse Statement (publisher, data, author rights): | © 2018. The American Astronomical Society. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Access rights to Published version: | Restricted or Subscription Access | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of first compliant deposit: | 4 December 2018 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of first compliant Open Access: | 4 December 2018 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| RIOXX Funder/Project Grant: |
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