Probing the Birth of Post-merger Millisecond Magnetars by X-ray and Gamma-ray Emission

Abstract

There is growing evidence that a stable magnetar could be formed from the coalescence of double neutron stars. In previous papers, we investigated the signature of formation of stable millisecond magnetars in radio and optical/ultraviolet bands by assuming that the central rapidly rotating magnetar deposits its rotational energy in the form of a relativistic leptonized wind. We found that the optical transient PTF11agg could be the first evidence for the formation of post-merger millisecond magnetars. To enhance the probability of finding more evidence for the post-merger magnetar formation, it is better to extend the observational channel to other photon energy bands. In this paper we propose to search the signature of post-merger magnetar formation in X-ray and especially gamma-ray bands. We calculate the SSC emission of the reverse shock powered by post-merger millisecond magnetars. We find that the SSC component peaks at $1\mathrm{GeV}$ in the spectral energy distribution and extends to $\gtrsim 10\mathrm{TeV}$ for typical parameters. These energy bands are quite suitable for Fermi/LAT and CTA, which, with their current observational sensitivities, can detect the SSC emission powered by post-merger magnetars up to $1\mathrm{Gpc}$. NuSTAR, sensible in X-ray bands, can detect the formation of post-merger millisecond magnetars at redshift $z\sim 1$. Future improvement in sensitivity of CTA can also probe the birth of post-merger millisecond magnetars at redshift $z\sim 1$. However, because of the $\gamma$-$\gamma$ collisions, strong high-energy emission is clearly predicted only for ejecta masses lower than $10^{-3}{M}_{\odot }$.

42 pages, 2 tables, 8 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

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• Testing Einstein's Weak Equivalence Principle With Gravitational Waves
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• A Monte Carlo Approach to Magnetar-powered Transients: I. Hydrogen-deficient Superluminous Supernovae
• The brightening of the pulsar wind nebula of PSR B0540--69 after its spin-down rate transition
• Evidence for magnetar formation in broad-lined type Ic supernovae 1998bw and 2002ap
• Solving the 56Ni puzzle of magnetar-powered broad-lined type Ic supernovae
• A Monte Carlo approach to magnetar-powered transients: II. Broad-lined type Ic supernovae not associated with GRBs
• The braking index of PSR B0540-69 and the associated pulsar wind nebula emission after spin-down rate transition
• Probing the environment of gravitational wave transient sources with TeV afterglow emission
• A Pulsar Wind Nebula Model Applied to Short GRB 050724
• Chandra observation of a cold front in Abell 2554