MAGNETIC ENERGY PRODUCTION BY TURBULENCE IN BINARY NEUTRON STAR MERGERS
- Center for Cosmology and Particle Physics, Physics Department, New York University, New York, NY 10003 (United States)
The simultaneous detection of electromagnetic and gravitational wave emission from merging neutron star binaries would greatly aid in their discovery and interpretation. By studying turbulent amplification of magnetic fields in local high-resolution simulations of neutron star merger conditions, we demonstrate that magnetar-level ({approx}> 10{sup 16} G) fields are present throughout the merger duration. We find that the small-scale turbulent dynamo converts 60% of the randomized kinetic energy into magnetic fields on a merger timescale. Since turbulent magnetic energy dissipates through reconnection events that accelerate relativistic electrons, turbulence may facilitate the conversion of orbital kinetic energy into radiation. If 10{sup -4} of the {approx}10{sup 53} erg of orbital kinetic available gets processed through reconnection and creates radiation in the 15-150 keV band, then the fluence at 200 Mpc would be 10{sup -7} erg cm{sup -2}, potentially rendering most merging neutron stars in the advanced LIGO and Virgo detection volumes detectable by Swift BAT.
- OSTI ID:
- 22118810
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 769, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 2041-8205
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
AMPLIFICATION
ASTRONOMY
ASTROPHYSICS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
COSMIC ELECTRONS
COSMIC GAMMA BURSTS
GRAVITATIONAL WAVE DETECTORS
GRAVITATIONAL WAVES
KINETIC ENERGY
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
NEUTRON STARS
RADIATION DETECTION
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
RESOLUTION
TURBULENCE