Title: Full transport model of GW170817-like disk produces a blue kilonova

Abstract

The 2017 detection of the inspiral and merger of two neutron stars in gravitational waves and gamma rays was accompanied by a quickly reddening transient. Such a transient was predicted to occur following a rapid neutron capture (r-process) nucleosynthesis event, which synthesizes neutron-rich, radioactive nuclei and can take place in both dynamical ejecta and in the wind driven off the accretion torus formed after a neutron star merger. In this study, we present the first three-dimensional general relativistic, full transport neutrino radiation magnetohydrodynamics simulations of the black hole-accretion disk-wind system produced by the GW170817 merger. We show that the small but non-negligible optical depths lead to neutrino transport globally coupling the disk electron fraction, which we capture by solving the transport equation with a Monte Carlo method. The resulting absorption drives up the electron fraction in a structured, continuous outflow, with electron fraction as high as Y _e ~ 0.4 in the extreme polar region. Finally, we show via nuclear reaction network and radiative transfer calculations that nucleosynthesis in the disk wind will produce a blue kilonova.

Authors:

Miller, Jonah Maxwell  ^[1];

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Ryan, Benjamin Ransom  ^[1];

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Dolence, Joshua C.  ^[1];

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Burrows, Adam ^[2]; Fontes, Christopher John  ^[1];

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Fryer, Christopher Lee  ^[1];

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Korobkin, Oleg  ^[1];

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Lippuner, Jonas  ^[1];

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Mumpower, Matthew Ryan  ^[1];

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Wollaeger, Ryan Thomas  ^[1]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
2. Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)

Publication Date:

2019-07-18

Research Org.:

Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Science (SC), Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) (SC-21)

OSTI Identifier:

1570643

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1546476

Report Number(s):

LA-UR-19-22623
Journal ID: ISSN 2470-0010; PRVDAQ

Grant/Contract Number:  

89233218CNA000001; SC0018297; 20170508DR

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Physical Review D

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 100; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 2470-0010

Publisher:

American Physical Society (APS)

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS