scholarly journals Search for neutron star binaries in the Local Group galaxies using LISA

2019 ◽  
Vol 489 (4) ◽  
pp. 4513-4519 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naoki Seto

ABSTRACT We discuss the prospects of LISA for detecting neutron star binaries (NSBs) in the Local Group galaxies such as LMC and M31. Using the recently estimated merger rate ${\rm 1540 \, Gpc^{-3}\, yr^{-1}}$ and inversely applying the conventional arguments based on the B-band galaxy luminosities, we estimate the frequency distributions of NSBs in the local galaxies. We find that, after 10 yr observation with its current design sensitivity, LISA might detect ∼5 NSBs both in LMC and M31 with signal-to-noise ratios larger than 10. Some of the NSBs might be three-dimensionally localized well within LMC. These binaries will be useful for studying various topics including the origin of r-process elements.

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (S317) ◽  
pp. 308-309
Author(s):  
Yutaka Hirai ◽  
Yuhri Ishimaru ◽  
Takayuki R. Saitoh ◽  
Michiko S. Fujii ◽  
Jun Hidaka ◽  
...  

AbstractNeutron star mergers are one of the candidate astrophysical site(s) of r-process. Several chemical evolution studies however pointed out that the observed abundance of r-process is difficult to reproduce by neutron star mergers. In this study, we aim to clarify the enrichment of r-process elements in the Local Group dwarf galaxies. We carry out numerical simulations of galactic chemo-dynamical evolution using an N-body/smoothed particle hydrodynamics code, ASURA. We construct a chemo-dynamical evolution model for dwarf galaxies assuming that neutron star mergers are the major source of r-process elements. Our models reproduce the observed dispersion in [Eu/Fe] as a function of [Fe/H] with neutron star mergers with a merger time of 100 Myr. We find that star formation efficiency and metal mixing processes during the first ≲ 300 Myr of galaxy evolution are important to reproduce the observations. This study supports that neutron star mergers are a major site of r-process.


2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Radice ◽  
Sebastiano Bernuzzi ◽  
Albino Perego

With the first observation of a binary neutron star merger through gravitational waves and light, GW170817, compact binary mergers have now taken the center stage in nuclear astrophysics. They are thought to be one of the main astrophysical sites of production of r-process elements, and merger observations have become a fundamental tool to constrain the properties of matter. Here, we review our current understanding of the dynamics of neutron star mergers in general and of GW170817 in particular. We discuss the physical processes governing the inspiral, merger, and postmerger evolution, and we highlight the connections between these processes, the dynamics, and the multimessenger observables. Finally, we discuss open questions and issues in the field and the need to address them through a combination of better theoretical models and new observations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 494 (1) ◽  
pp. 120-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuta Tarumi ◽  
Naoki Yoshida ◽  
Shigeki Inoue

ABSTRACT We study the enrichment and mixing of r-process elements in ultrafaint dwarf galaxies (UFDs). We assume that r-process elements are produced by neutron-star mergers (NSMs), and examine multiple models with different natal kick velocities and explosion energies. To this end, we perform cosmological simulations of galaxy formation to follow mixing of the dispersed r-process elements driven by star formation and the associated stellar feedback in progenitors of UFDs. We show that the observed europium abundance in Reticulum II is reproduced by our inner explosion model where an NSM is triggered at the centre of the galaxy, whereas the relatively low abundance in Tucana III is reproduced if an NSM occurs near the virial radius of the progenitor galaxy. The latter case is realized only if the neutron-star binary has a large natal kick velocity and travels over a long distance of a kiloparsec before merger. In both the inner and outer explosion cases, it is necessary for the progenitor galaxy to sustain prolonged star formation over a few hundred million years after the NSM, so that the dispersed r-process elements are well mixed within the interstellar medium. Short-duration star formation results in inefficient mixing, and then a large variation is imprinted in the stellar europium abundances, which is inconsistent with the observations of Reticulum II and Tucana III.


2015 ◽  
Vol 455 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Vangioni ◽  
Stéphane Goriely ◽  
Frédéric Daigne ◽  
Patrick François ◽  
Krzysztof Belczynski

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (S317) ◽  
pp. 318-319
Author(s):  
Yutaka Komiya ◽  
Toshikazu Shigeyama

AbstractThe main astronomical source of r-process elements has not yet been identified. One plausible site is neutron star mergers (NSMs). From the perspective of Galactic chemical evolution, however, it has been pointed out that the NSM scenario is incompatible with observations. Recently, Tsujimoto & Shigeyama (2014) pointed out that NSM ejecta can spread into much larger volume than ejecta from a supernova. We re-examine the chemical evolution of r-process elements under the NSM scenario considering this difference in propagation of the ejecta. We find that the NSM scenario can be compatible with the observed abundances of the Milky Way halo stars.


2020 ◽  
Vol 494 (4) ◽  
pp. 4867-4883 ◽  
Author(s):  
Freeke van de Voort ◽  
Rüdiger Pakmor ◽  
Robert J J Grand ◽  
Volker Springel ◽  
Facundo A Gómez ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We use cosmological, magnetohydrodynamical simulations of Milky Way-mass galaxies from the Auriga project to study their enrichment with rapid neutron capture (r-process) elements. We implement a variety of enrichment models from both binary neutron star mergers and rare core-collapse supernovae. We focus on the abundances of (extremely) metal-poor stars, most of which were formed during the first ∼Gyr of the Universe in external galaxies and later accreted on to the main galaxy. We find that the majority of metal-poor stars are r-process enriched in all our enrichment models. Neutron star merger models result in a median r-process abundance ratio, which increases with metallicity, whereas the median trend in rare core-collapse supernova models is approximately flat. The scatter in r-process abundance increases for models with longer delay times or lower rates of r-process-producing events. Our results are nearly perfectly converged, in part due to the mixing of gas between mesh cells in the simulations. Additionally, different Milky Way-mass galaxies show only small variation in their respective r-process abundance ratios. Current (sparse and potentially biased) observations of metal-poor stars in the Milky Way seem to prefer rare core-collapse supernovae over neutron star mergers as the dominant source of r-process elements at low metallicity, but we discuss possible caveats to our models. Dwarf galaxies that experience a single r-process event early in their history show highly enhanced r-process abundances at low metallicity, which is seen both in observations and in our simulations. We also find that the elements produced in a single event are mixed with ≈108 M⊙ of gas relatively quickly, distributing the r-process elements over a large region.


Author(s):  
Yutaka Hirai ◽  
Yuhri Ishimaru ◽  
Takayuki R. Saitoh ◽  
Michiko S. Fujii ◽  
Jun Hidaka ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (13) ◽  
pp. 1842005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenta Hotokezaka ◽  
Paz Beniamini ◽  
Tsvi Piran

Neutron star mergers have been long considered as promising sites of heavy [Formula: see text]-process nucleosynthesis. We overview the observational evidence supporting this scenario including: the total amount of [Formula: see text]-process elements in the galaxy, extreme metal-poor stars, geological radioactive elemental abundances, dwarf galaxies and short gamma-ray bursts (sGRBs). Recently, the advanced LIGO and Virgo observatories discovered a gravitational-wave signal of a neutron star merger, GW170817, as well as accompanying multi-wavelength electromagnetic (EM) counterparts. The ultra-violet, optical and near infrared (n/R) observations point to [Formula: see text]-process elements that have been synthesized in the merger ejecta. The rate and ejected mass inferred from GW170817 and the EM counterparts are consistent with other observations. We however, find that, within the simple one zone chemical evolution models (based on merger rates with reasonable delay time distributions as expected from evolutionary models, or from observations of sGRBs), it is difficult to reconcile the current observations of the Eu abundance history of galactic stars for [Fe/H] [Formula: see text]. This implies that to account for the role of mergers in the galactic chemical evolution, we need a galactic model with multiple populations that have different spatial distributions and/or varying formation rates.


2021 ◽  
Vol 919 (1) ◽  
pp. 59
Author(s):  
Meng-Hua Chen ◽  
Li-Xin Li ◽  
Da-Bin Lin ◽  
En-Wei Liang

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