General-relativistic radiation magnetohydrodynamics simulations of binary neutron star mergers: The influence of spin on the multi-messenger picture

Abstract

The rich phenomenology of binary neutron star mergers offers a unique opportunity to test general relativity, investigate matter at supranuclear densities, and learn more about the origin of heavy elements. As multi-messenger sources, they emit both gravitational waves and electromagnetic radiation across several frequency bands. The interpretation of these signals relies heavily on accurate numerical-relativity simulations that incorporate the relevant microphysical processes. Using the latest updates of the BAM code, we perform general-relativistic radiation magnetohydrodynamic simulations of binary neutron star mergers with two different spin configurations. We adopt a state-of-the-art equation of state based on relativistic mean-field theory developed for dense matter in neutron star mergers. To capture both dynamical ejecta and secular outflows from magnetic and neutrino-driven winds, we evolve the systems up to $\sim 100\mathrm{ms}$ after the merger at considerably high resolution with a grid spacing of $\hat{I}”x\approx 93\mathrm{m}$ across the neutron stars. Our results show that the non-spinning configuration undergoes a more violent merger, producing more ejecta with lower electron fraction and higher velocities, while the spinning configuration forms a larger disk due to its higher angular momentum. Although the initial magnetic field amplification within $\lesssim 10\mathrm{ms}$ after merger is similar in both systems, the non-spinning system reaches stronger magnetic fields and higher energies at later times. For a detailed view of the multi-messenger observables, we extract the gravitational-wave signal and compute nucleosynthesis yields, the expected kilonova and afterglow light curves from our ejecta profiles.