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Title: Prospects for joint observations of gravitational waves and gamma rays from merging neutron star binaries

Journal Article · · Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
; ;  [1];  [2]; ;  [3]
  1. Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Pisa, Largo B. Pontecorvo, 3, 56127 Pisa (Italy)
  2. INFN—Sezione di Pisa, Largo B. Pontecorvo, 3, 56127 Pisa (Italy)
  3. Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri, 7, 56126 Pisa (Italy)

The detection of the events GW150914 and GW151226, both consistent with the merger of a binary black hole system (BBH), opened the era of gravitational wave (GW) astronomy. Besides BBHs, the most promising GW sources are the coalescences of binary systems formed by two neutron stars or a neutron star and a black hole. These mergers are thought to be connected with short Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs), therefore combined observations of GW and electromagnetic (EM) signals could definitively probe this association. We present a detailed study on the expectations for joint GW and high-energy EM observations of coalescences of binary systems of neutron stars with Advanced Virgo and LIGO and with the Fermi gamma-ray telescope. To this scope, we designed a dedicated Montecarlo simulation pipeline for the multimessenger emission and detection by GW and gamma-ray instruments, considering the evolution of the GW detector sensitivities. We show that the expected rate of joint detection is low during the Advanced Virgo and Advanced LIGO 2016–2017 run; however, as the interferometers approach their final design sensitivities, the rate will increase by ∼ a factor of ten. Future joint observations will help to constrain the association between short GRBs and binary systems and to solve the puzzle of the progenitors of GWs. Comparison of the joint detection rate with the ones predicted in this paper will help to constrain the geometry of the GRB jet.

OSTI ID:
22679384
Journal Information:
Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, Vol. 2016, Issue 11; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1475-7516
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English