scholarly journals The heavier the better: how to constrain mass ratios and spins of high-mass neutron star mergers

2020 ◽  
Vol 496 (1) ◽  
pp. L16-L21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elias R Most ◽  
Lukas R Weih ◽  
Luciano Rezzolla
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Neutron Star ◽  
Lower Bound ◽  
Equations Of State ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Maximum Mass ◽  
Mass Ratio ◽  
Effective Spin ◽  
Binary Neutron Star ◽  
Merger Event

ABSTRACT The first binary neutron star merger event, GW170817, and its bright electromagnetic counterpart have provided a remarkable amount of information. By contrast, the second event, GW190425, with $M_{\rm tot}=3.4^{+0.3}_{-0.1}\, \mathrm{ M}_{\odot }$ and the lack of an electromagnetic counterpart, has hardly improved our understanding of neutron star physics. While GW190425 is compatible with a scenario in which the merger has led to a prompt collapse to a black hole and little ejected matter to power a counterpart, determining the mass ratio and the effective spin $\tilde{\chi }$ of the binary remains difficult. This is because gravitational waveforms cannot yet well constrain the component spins of the binary. However, since the mass of GW190425 is significantly larger than the maximum mass for non-rotating neutron stars, $M_{_{\rm TOV}}$, the mass ratio q cannot be too small, as the heavier star would not be gravitationally stable. Making use of universal relations and a large number of equations of state, we provide limits in the $(\tilde{\chi },q)$ plane for GW190425, namely qmin ≥ 0.38 and $\tilde{\chi }_{\rm max}\le 0.20$, assuming $M_\mathrm{tot} \simeq 3.4\, \mathrm{ M}_\odot$. Finally, we show how future observations of high-mass binaries can provide a lower bound on $M_{_{\rm TOV}}$.

scholarly journals Accretion-induced prompt black hole formation in asymmetric neutron star mergers, dynamical ejecta, and kilonova signals

2020 ◽  
Vol 497 (2) ◽  
pp. 1488-1507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastiano Bernuzzi ◽  
Matteo Breschi ◽  
Boris Daszuta ◽  
Andrea Endrizzi ◽  
Domenico Logoteta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Neutron Star ◽  
Equations Of State ◽  
Turbulent Viscosity ◽  
Orbital Plane ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Mass Ratio ◽  
Tidal Disruption ◽  
Primary Star ◽  
Hartree Fock

ABSTRACT We present new numerical relativity results of neutron star (NS) mergers with chirp mass 1.188 M⊙ and mass ratios q = 1.67 and q = 1.8 using finite-temperature equations of state (EOS), approximate neutrino transport, and a subgrid model for magnetohydrodynamics-induced turbulent viscosity. The EOS are compatible with nuclear and astrophysical constraints and include a new microphysical model derived from ab initio calculations based on the Brueckner–Hartree–Fock approach. We report for the first time evidence for accretion-induced prompt collapse in high-mass-ratio mergers, in which the tidal disruption of the companion and its accretion on to the primary star determine prompt black hole (BH) formation. As a result of the tidal disruption, an accretion disc of neutron-rich and cold matter forms with baryon masses ∼0.15 M⊙, and it is significantly heavier than the remnant discs in equal-masses prompt-collapse mergers. Massive dynamical ejecta of the order of ∼0.01 M⊙ also originate from the tidal disruption. They are neutron-rich and expand from the orbital plane with a crescent-like geometry. Consequently, bright, red, and temporally extended kilonova emission is predicted from these mergers. Our results show that prompt BH mergers can power bright electromagnetic counterparts for high-mass-ratio binaries, and that the binary mass ratio can be, in principle, constrained from multimessenger observations.

scholarly journals Collimated outflows from long-lived binary neutron star merger remnants

2020 ◽  
Vol 495 (1) ◽  
pp. L66-L70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riccardo Ciolfi
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Neutron Star ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Gamma Ray Bursts ◽  
Spin Axis ◽  
Binary Neutron Star ◽  
Physical Conditions ◽  
Massive Neutron Star ◽  
Merger Event ◽  
First Time

ABSTRACT The connection between short gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs) and binary neutron star (BNS) mergers was recently confirmed by the association of GRB 170817A with the merger event GW170817. However, no conclusive indications were obtained on whether the merger remnant that powered the SGRB jet was an accreting black hole (BH) or a long-lived massive neutron star (NS). Here, we explore the latter case via BNS merger simulations covering up to 250 ms after merger. We report, for the first time in a full merger simulation, the formation of a magnetically driven collimated outflow along the spin axis of the NS remnant. For the system at hand, the properties of such an outflow are found largely incompatible with an SGRB jet. With due consideration of the limitations and caveats of our present investigation, our results favour a BH origin for GRB 170817A and SGRBs in general. Even though this conclusion needs to be confirmed by exploring a larger variety of physical conditions, we briefly discuss possible consequences of all SGRB jets being powered by accreting BHs.

scholarly journals A lower bound on the maximum mass if the secondary in GW190814 was once a rapidly spinning neutron star

2020 ◽  
Vol 499 (1) ◽  
pp. L82-L86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elias R Most ◽  
L Jens Papenfort ◽  
Lukas R Weih ◽  
Luciano Rezzolla
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Neutron Star ◽  
Equation Of State ◽  
Lower Bound ◽  
Neutron Stars ◽  
Compact Objects ◽  
Maximum Mass ◽  
Secondary Neutron ◽  
Massive Neutron Star ◽  
The Masses

ABSTRACT The recent detection of GW190814 featured the merger of a binary with a primary having a mass of $\sim 23\, \mathrm{ M}_{\odot }$ and a secondary with a mass of $\sim 2.6\, \mathrm{ M}_{\odot }$. While the primary was most likely a black hole, the secondary could be interpreted as either the lightest black hole or the most massive neutron star ever observed, but also as the indication of a novel class of exotic compact objects. We here argue that although the secondary in GW190814 is most likely a black hole at merger, it needs not be an ab-initio black hole nor an exotic object. Rather, based on our current understanding of the nuclear-matter equation of state, it can be a rapidly rotating neutron star that collapsed to a rotating black hole at some point before merger. Using universal relations connecting the masses and spins of uniformly rotating neutron stars, we estimate the spin, $0.49_{-0.05}^{+0.08} \lesssim \chi \lesssim 0.68_{-0.05}^{+0.11}$, of the secondary – a quantity not constrained so far by the detection – and a novel strict lower bound on the maximum mass, $M_{_{\mathrm{TOV}}}\gt 2.08^{+0.04}_{-0.04}\, \, \mathrm{ M}_{\odot }$ and an optimal bound of $M_{_{\mathrm{TOV}}}\gt 2.15^{+0.04}_{-0.04}\, \, \mathrm{ M}_{\odot }$, of non-rotating neutron stars, consistent with recent observations of a very massive pulsar. The new lower bound also remains valid even in the less likely scenario in which the secondary neutron star never collapsed to a black hole.

scholarly journals Black hole–neutron star mergers from triples – II. The role of metallicity and spin–orbit misalignment

2019 ◽  
Vol 490 (4) ◽  
pp. 4991-5001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giacomo Fragione ◽  
Abraham Loeb
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Neutron Star ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Dynamical Evolution ◽  
Spin Orbit ◽  
Spin Distribution ◽  
Effective Spin ◽  
Orbital Parameters ◽  
Merger Event ◽  
Merger Rate

ABSTRACT Observations of black hole–neutron star (BH–NS) mergers via gravitational waves (GWs) are of great interest for their electromagnetic counterparts, such as short gamma-ray bursts, and could provide crucial information on the nature of BHs and the NS crust and magnetosphere. While no event has been confirmed, a recent possible detection of a BH–NS merger event by the LIGO–Virgo collaboration has attracted a lot of attention to these sources. In this second paper of the series, we follow-up our study of the dynamical evolution of triples composed of an inner BH–NS binary. In particular, we examine how the progenitor metallicity affects the characteristics of the BH–NS mergers in triples. We determine the distributions of masses, orbital parameters, and merger times, as a function of the progenitor metallicity and initial triple orbital distributions, and show that the typical eccentricity in the LIGO band is ∼10−2–10−1. We derive a merger rate range of ΓBH–NS = 1.9 × 10−4–22 Gpc−3 yr−1, consistent the LIGO–Virgo upper limit. Finally, we study the expected spin–orbit misalignments of merging BH–NS binaries from this channel, and find that typically the effective spin distribution is peaked at χeff ∼ 0 with significant tails.

scholarly journals A More Stringent Constraint on the Mass Ratio of Binary Neutron Star Merger GW170817

2017 ◽  
Vol 851 (2) ◽  
pp. L45 ◽  
Author(s):  
He Gao ◽  
Zhoujian Cao ◽  
Shunke Ai ◽  
Bing Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Neutron Star ◽  
Mass Ratio ◽  
Binary Neutron Star ◽  
Stringent Constraint

scholarly journals Mass transfer on a nuclear timescale in models of supergiant and ultra-luminous X-ray binaries

2019 ◽  
Vol 628 ◽  
pp. A19 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Quast ◽  
N. Langer ◽  
T. M. Tauris
Keyword(s):  
Mass Transfer ◽  
Black Hole ◽  
Neutron Star ◽  
Roche Lobe ◽  
High Mass ◽  
X Rays ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Mass Ratios ◽  
X Ray Binaries ◽  
Eddington Limit

Context. The origin and number of the Galactic supergiant X-ray binaries is currently not well understood. They consist of an evolved massive star and a neutron star or black-hole companion. X-rays are thought to be generated from the accretion of wind material donated by the supergiant, while mass transfer due to Roche-lobe overflow is mostly disregarded because the high mass ratios of these systems are thought to render this process unstable. Aims. We investigate how the proximity of supergiant donor stars to the Eddington limit, and their advanced evolutionary stage, may influence the evolution of massive and ultra-luminous X-ray binaries with supergiant donor stars (SGXBs and ULXs). Methods. We constructed models of massive stars with different internal hydrogen and helium gradients (H/He gradients) and different hydrogen-rich envelope masses, and exposed them to slow mass-loss to probe the response of the stellar radius. In addition, we computed the corresponding Roche-lobe overflow mass-transfer evolution with our detailed binary stellar evolution code, approximating the compact objects as point masses. Results. We find that a H/He gradient in the layers beneath the surface, as it is likely present in the well-studied donor stars of observed SGBXs, can enable mass transfer in SGXBs on a nuclear timescale with a black-hole or a neutron star accretor, even for mass ratios in excess of 20. In our binary evolution models, the donor stars rapidly decrease their thermal equilibrium radius and can therefore cope with the inevitably strong orbital contraction imposed by the high mass ratio. We find that the orbital period derivatives of our models agree well with empirical values. We argue that the SGXB phase may be preceded by a common-envelope evolution. The envelope inflation near the Eddington limit means that this mechanism more likely occurs at high metallicity. Conclusion. Our results open a new perspective for understanding that SGBXs are numerous in our Galaxy and are almost completely absent in the Small Magellanic Cloud. Our results may also offer a way to find more ULX systems, to detect mass transfer on nuclear timescales in ULX systems even with neutron star accretors, and shed new light on the origin of the strong B-field in these neutron stars.

scholarly journals Gamma-Ray Bursts and Binary Neutron Star Mergers

1996 ◽  
Vol 165 ◽  
pp. 489-502
Author(s):  
Tsvi Piran
Keyword(s):  
Neutron Star ◽  
Gravitational Radiation ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Indirect Evidence ◽  
Gamma Ray Bursts ◽  
Binary Neutron Star ◽  
Merger Event ◽  
Γ Rays ◽  
Γ Ray ◽  
The One

Neutron star binaries, such as the one observed in the famous binary pulsar PSR 1913+16, end their life in a catastrophic merger event (denoted here NS2M). The merger releases ∼5 1053 ergs, mostly as neutrinos and gravitational radiation. A small fraction of this energy suffices to power γ-ray bursts (GRBs) at cosmological distances. Cosmological GRBs must pass, however, an optically thick fireball phase and the observed γ rays emerge only at the end of this phase. Hence, it is difficult to determine the nature of the source from present observations (the agreement between the rates of GRBs and NS2Ms providing only indirect evidence for this model). In the future a coinciding detection of a GRB and a gravitational-radiation signal could confirm this model.

scholarly journals LOFAR 144-MHz follow-up observations of GW170817

2020 ◽  
Vol 494 (4) ◽  
pp. 5110-5117
Author(s):  
J W Broderick ◽  
T W Shimwell ◽  
K Gourdji ◽  
A Rowlinson ◽  
S Nissanke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neutron Star ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Radio Spectrum ◽  
Central Frequency ◽  
Binary Neutron Star ◽  
Upper Limit ◽  
Upper Limits ◽  
Maximum Elevation ◽  
Merger Event

ABSTRACT We present low-radio-frequency follow-up observations of AT 2017gfo, the electromagnetic counterpart of GW170817, which was the first binary neutron star merger to be detected by Advanced LIGO–Virgo. These data, with a central frequency of 144 MHz, were obtained with LOFAR, the Low-Frequency Array. The maximum elevation of the target is just 13${_{.}^{\circ}}$7 when observed with LOFAR, making our observations particularly challenging to calibrate and significantly limiting the achievable sensitivity. On time-scales of 130–138 and 371–374 d after the merger event, we obtain 3σ upper limits for the afterglow component of 6.6 and 19.5 mJy beam−1, respectively. Using our best upper limit and previously published, contemporaneous higher frequency radio data, we place a limit on any potential steepening of the radio spectrum between 610 and 144 MHz: the two-point spectral index $\alpha ^{610}_{144} \gtrsim$ −2.5. We also show that LOFAR can detect the afterglows of future binary neutron star merger events occurring at more favourable elevations.

A ROBUST TEST OF GENERAL RELATIVITY IN SPACE

2007 ◽  
Vol 16 (12a) ◽  
pp. 2319-2324 ◽  
Author(s):  
JAMES GRABER
Keyword(s):  
Black Holes ◽  
General Relativity ◽  
Black Hole ◽  
Quadrupole Moment ◽  
Binary Systems ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Uniqueness Theorems ◽  
Mass Ratio ◽  
Intermediate Mass ◽  
Robust Test

LISA may make it possible to test the black-hole uniqueness theorems of general relativity, also called the no-hair theorems, by Ryan's method of detecting the quadrupole moment of a black hole using high-mass-ratio inspirals. This test can be performed more robustly by observing inspirals in earlier stages, where the simplifications used in making inspiral predictions by the perturbative and post-Newtonian methods are more nearly correct. Current concepts for future missions such as DECIGO and BBO would allow even more stringent tests by this same method. Recently discovered evidence supports the existence of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs). Inspirals of binary systems with one IMBH and one stellar-mass black hole would fall into the frequency band of proposed maximum sensitivity for DECIGO and BBO. This would enable us to perform the Ryan test more precisely and more robustly. We explain why tests based on observations earlier in the inspiral are more robust and provide preliminary estimates of possible optimal future observations.

scholarly journals Identifying Quark Matter in Hybrid Stars through Relativistic Tidal Deformations

Universe ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (9) ◽  
pp. 193
Author(s):  
Bryen Irving ◽  
Thomas Klähn ◽  
Prashanth Jaikumar ◽  
Marc Salinas ◽  
Wei Wei
Keyword(s):  
Neutron Star ◽  
Parameter Space ◽  
Quark Matter ◽  
Specific Model ◽  
Nuclear Model ◽  
Hartree Fock ◽  
Binary Neutron Star ◽  
Merger Event ◽  
Hybrid Stars ◽  
Parameter Ranges

We study a specific model of neutron star matter that supports a phase transition to quark matter at high density and examine parameter ranges for consistency with the mass-weighted tidal deformability of Λ ˜ = 300 − 230 + 420 for a mass ratio of q ∈ [ 0.73 , 1.0 ] , as inferred from observations of gravitational waves from the binary neutron star merger event GW170817. By using this observation to restrict the parameter space for the equation of state (EoS) model used throughout this study, we aim to assess the possibility of a potential solution to the masquerade and flavor camouflage problems for hybrid EoS models. Assuming the two stars have the same EoS, in which the Dirac-Brueckner-Hartree Fock (DBHF) nuclear model transitions to the vBag quark model, we see if the parameter space of these hybrid model stars are restricted due to the adherence to the reported Λ 1.4 ∈ 70 , 580 and M m a x ∈ [ 2.01 , 2.16 ] M ⊙ constraints. Upon completion, we find that, while the parameter space for our model does get restricted, it does not ultimately resolve the masquerade and flavor camouflage problems.

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