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Full Transport Model of GW170817-Like Disk Produces a Blue Kilonova
- Publication Year :
- 2019
-
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. We present the first three-dimensional general relativistic, full transport neutrino radiation magnetohydrodynamics (GRRMHD) 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 $Y_e\sim 0.4$ in the extreme polar region. We show via nuclear reaction network and radiative transfer calculations that nucleosynthesis in the disk wind will produce a blue kilonova.
- Subjects :
- High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE)
Physics
Nuclear reaction
010308 nuclear & particles physics
Gravitational wave
Astrophysics::High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
FOS: Physical sciences
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc)
Astrophysics
Astrophysics::Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics
Kilonova
01 natural sciences
Accretion (astrophysics)
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
Neutron star
Nucleosynthesis
0103 physical sciences
Radiative transfer
Astrophysics::Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Neutrino
010306 general physics
Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Astrophysics::Galaxy Astrophysics
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....346873b56ef0556505a32097dd7deee2