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Title: Search for Ultra-high-energy Photons from Gravitational Wave Sources with the Pierre Auger Observatory

Journal Article · · The Astrophysical Journal
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A search for time-directional coincidences of ultra-high-energy (UHE) photons above 10 EeV with gravitational wave (GW) events from the LIGO/Virgo runs O1 to O3 is conducted with the Pierre Auger Observatory. Due to the distinctive properties of photon interactions and to the background expected from hadronic showers, a subset of the most interesting GW events is selected based on their localization quality and distance. Time periods of 1000 s around and 1 day after the GW events are analyzed. No coincidences are observed. Upper limits on the UHE photon fluence from a GW event are derived that are typically at ~7 MeV cm-2 (time period 1000 s) and ~35 MeV cm-2 (time period 1 day). Due to the proximity of the binary neutron star merger GW170817, the energy of the source transferred into UHE photons above 40 EeV is constrained to be less than 20% of its total GW energy. These are the first limits on UHE photons from GW sources.

Research Organization:
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP); National Science Foundation (NSF)
Contributing Organization:
Pierre Auger
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-07CH11359; FR02-04ER41300; FG02-99ER41107; SC0011689; 0450696
OSTI ID:
2228297
Report Number(s):
FERMILAB-PUB-23-745-TD; arXiv:2307.10839; oai:inspirehep.net:2678945
Journal Information:
The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 952, Issue 1; ISSN 0004-637X
Publisher:
IOP PublishingCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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