Initial data for black hole-neutron star binaries, with rotating stars

The coalescence of a neutron star with a black hole is a primary science target of ground-based gravitational wave detectors. Constraining or measuring the neutron star spin directly from gravitational wave observations requires knowledge of the dependence of the emission properties of these systems on the neutron star spin. This paper lays foundations for this task, by developing a numerical method to construct initial data for black hole--neutron star binaries with arbitrary spin on the neutron star. We demonstrate the robustness of the code by constructing initial-data sets in large regions of the parameter space. In addition to varying the neutron star spin-magnitude and spin-direction, we also explore neutron star compactness, mass-ratio, black hole spin, and black hole spin-direction. Specifically, we are able to construct initial data sets with neutron stars spinning near centrifugal break-up, and with black hole spins as large as $S_{\rm BH}/M_{\rm BH}^2=0.99$.Comment: 25 pages, 12 figure

A magnetically driven origin for the low luminosity GRB 170817A associated with GW170817

The gamma-ray burst GRB 170817A associated with GW170817 is subluminous and subenergetic compared with other typical short GRBs. It may be due to a relativistic jet viewed off-axis, or a structured jet, or cocoon emission. Giant flares from magnetars may possibly be ruled out. However, the luminosity and energetics of GRB 170817A is coincident with that of magnetar giant flares. After the coalescence of the binary neutron star, a hypermassive neutron star may be formed. The hypermassive neutron star may have magnetar-strength magnetic field. During the collapse of the hypermassive neutron star, the magnetic field energy will also be released. This giant-flare-like event may explain the the luminosity and energetics of GRB 170817A. Bursts with similar luminosity and energetics are expected in future neutron star-neutron star or neutron star-black hole mergers.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure, accepted in Research in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Time Evolution of Relativistic Force-Free Fields Connecting a Neutron Star and its Disk

We study the magnetic interaction between a neutron star and its disk by solving the time-dependent relativistic force-free equations. At the initial state, we assume that the dipole magnetic field of the neutron star connects the neutron star and its equatorial disk, which deeply enters into the magnetosphere of the neutron star. Magnetic fields are assumed to be frozen to the star and the disk. The rotation of the neutron star and the disk is imposed as boundary conditions. We apply Harten-Lax-van Leer (HLL) method to simulate the evolution of the star-disk system. We carry out simulations for (1) a disk inside the corotation radius, in which the disk rotates faster than the star, and (2) a disk outside the corotation radius, in which the neutron star rotates faster than the disk. Numerical results indicate that for both models, the magnetic field lines connecting the disk and the star inflate as they are twisted by the differential rotation between the disk and the star. When the twist angle exceeds pi radian, the magnetic field lines expand with speed close to the light speed. This mechanism can be the origin of relativistic outflows observed in binaries containing a neutron star.Comment: 10 pages, 6figures, accepted for publication in PAS

Universality and properties of neutron star type I critical collapses

We study the neutron star axisymmetric critical solution previously found in the numerical studies of neutron star mergers. Using neutron star-like initial data and performing similar merger simulations, we demonstrate that the solution is indeed a semi-attractor on the threshold plane separating the basin of a neutron star and the basin of a black hole in the solution space of the Einstein equations. In order to explore the extent of the attraction basin of the neutron star semiattractor, we construct initial data phase spaces for these neutron star-like initial data. From these phase spaces, we also observe several interesting dynamical scenarios where the merged object is supported from prompt collapse. The properties of the critical index of the solution, in particular, its dependence on conserved quantities, are then studied. From the study, it is found that a family of neutron star semi-attractors exist that can be classified by both their rest masses and ADM masses.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures, 1 new reference adde

Electromagnetic extraction of energy from black hole-neutron star binaries

The coalescence of black hole-neutron star binaries is expected to be a principal source of gravitational waves for the next generation of detectors, Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo. Ideally, these and other gravitational wave sources would have a distinct electromagnetic counterpart, as significantly more information could be gained through two separate channels. In addition, since these detectors will probe distances with non-negligible redshift, a coincident observation of an electromagnetic counterpart to a gravitational wave signal would facilitate a novel measurement of dark energy [1]. For black hole masses not much larger than the neutron star mass, the tidal disruption and subsequent accretion of the neutron star by the black hole provides one avenue for generating an electromagnetic counterpart [2]. However, in this work, we demonstrate that, for all black hole-neutron star binaries observable by Advanced LIGO/Virgo, the interaction of the black hole with the magnetic field of the neutron star will drive a Poynting flux. This Poynting flux generates synchrotron/curvature radiation as the electron-positron plasma in the neutron star magnetosphere is accel- erated, and thermal radiation as the plasma is focused onto the neutron star magnetic poles, creating a "hot spot" on the neutron star surface. This novel effect will gener- ate copious luminosity, comparable to supernovae and active galactic nuclei, so that black hole-neutron star coalescences detectable with gravitational waves by Advanced LIGO/Virgo could also potentially be detectable electromagnetically.Comment: 17 pages, 2 figures, submitted to Natur