paper

Electromagnetic Counterparts to Structured Jets from Gravitational Wave Detected Mergers

arXiv:1706.03000 · doi:10.1093/mnras/stx2345

Abstract

We show the peak magnitude for orphan afterglows from the jets of gravitational wave (GW) detected black-hole/neutron star - neutron star (BH/NS-NS) mergers highly depends on the jet half-opening angle . Short -ray bursts (GRB) with a homogeneous jet structure and , the orphan afterglow viewed at the typical inclination for a GW detected event, 38, is brighter at optical frequencies than the comparable macronova emission. Structured jets, where the energetics and Lorentz factor vary with angle from the central axis, may have low- components where the prompt emission is suppressed; GW electromagnetic (EM) counterparts may reveal a population of failed-GRB orphan afterglows. Using a Monte Carlo method assuming a NS-NS detection limit we show the fraction of GW-EM counterparts from homogeneous, two-component, power-law structured, and Gaussian jets where the variable structure models include a wide low energy and component: for homogeneous jets, with a { and typical short GRB parameters, we find {\it r}-band magnitude counterparts for of GW detected mergers; where jet structure extends to a half-opening angle of , two-component jets produce counterparts in of GW detected mergers; power-law structured jets result in ; and Gaussian jets with our parameters .} We show the features in the lightcurves from orphan afterglows can be used to indicate the presence of extended structure.

arXiv comment15 pages, 5 figures, accepted by MNRAS

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