Engineering topics

Perego, Albino

Publications and source records attributed to Perego, Albino.

18 records

DOE OSTI2024

Bayesian inference of multi-messenger astrophysical data: Joint and coherent inference of gravitational waves and kilonovae

Multi-messenger observations of binary neutron star mergers can provide information on the neutron star’s equation of state (EOS) above the nuclear saturation density by directly constraining the mass-radius diagram. We present a Bayesian framework for joint and coherent analyses of multi-messenger binary neutron star signals. As a first application, we analyze the gravitational-wave GW170817 and the kilonova (kN) AT2017gfo data. These results are then combined with the most recent X-ray pulsar analyses of PSR J0030+0451 and PSR J0740+6620 to obtain new EOS constraints.We extend the bajes infrastructure with a joint likelihood for multiple datasets, support for various semi-analytical kN models, and numerical-relativity (NR)-informed relations for the mass ejecta, as well as a technique to include and marginalize over modeling uncertainties. The analysis of GW170817 used the TEOBResumS effective-one-body waveform template to model the gravitational-wave signal. The analysis of AT2017gfo used a baseline multicomponent spherically symmetric model for the kN light curves. Various constraints on the mass-radius diagram and neutron star properties were then obtained by resampling over a set of ten million parameterized EOSs, which was built under minimal assumptions (general relativity and causality).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Do black holes remember what they are made of?

We study the ringdown signal of black holes formed in prompt-collapse binary neutron star mergers. We analyze data from 47 numerical relativity simulations. We show that the ($l$ = 2, $m$ = 2) and ($l$ = 2, $m$ = 1) multipoles of the gravitational wave signal are well fitted by decaying damped exponentials, as predicted by black-hole perturbation theory. We show that the ratio of the amplitude in the two modes depends on the progenitor binary mass ratio q and reduced tidal parameter $\overline{Λ}$. Unfortunately, the numerical uncertainty in our data is too large to fully quantify this dependency. If confirmed, these results will enable novel tests of general relativity in the presence of matter with next-generation gravitational-wave observatories.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Neutrino Trapping and Out-of-Equilibrium Effects in Binary Neutron-Star Merger Remnants

We study out-of-thermodynamic-equilibrium effects in neutron-star mergers with 3D general-relativistic neutrino-radiation large-eddy simulations. During mergers, the cores of the neutron stars remain cold (T ~ a few MeV) and out of thermodynamic equilibrium with trapped neutrinos originating from the hot collisional interface between the stars. However, within ~2 to 3 ms matter and neutrinos reach equilibrium everywhere in the remnant massive neutron star. Furthermore, our results show that dissipative effects, such as bulk viscosity, if present, are only active for a short window of time after the merger.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Geometric and thermodynamic characterization of binary neutron star accretion discs

Accretion disks formed in binary neutron star mergers play a central role in many astrophysical processes of interest, including the launching of relativistic jets or the ejection of neutron-rich matter hosting heavy element nucleosynthesis. In this work we analyze in detail the properties of accretion disks from 44 ab initio binary neutron star merger simulations for a large set of nuclear equations of state, binary mass ratios, and remnant fates, with the aim of furnishing reliable initial conditions for disk simulations and a comprehensive characterization of their properties. We find that the disks have a significant thermal support, with an aspect ratio decreasing with the mass ratio of the binary from ~0.7 to 0.3. Even if the disk sample spans a broad range in mass and angular momentum, their ratio is independent from the equation of state and from the mass ratio. This can be traced back to the rotational profile of the disk, characterized by a constant specific angular momentum (as opposed to a Keplerian one) of 3 – 5×10 16 cm 2 s –1 . The profiles of the entropy per baryon and of the electron fraction depend on the mass ratio of the binary. For more symmetric binaries, they follow a sigmoidal distribution as a function of the rest mass density, for which we provide a detailed description and a fit. Furthermore, the disk properties discussed in this work can be used as a robust set of initial conditions for future long-term simulations of accretion disks from binary neutron star mergers, posing the basis for progress in the quantitative study of the outflow properties.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Prospects for direct detection of black hole formation in neutron star mergers with next-generation gravitational-wave detectors

A direct detection of black hole formation in neutron star mergers would provide invaluable information about matter in neutron star cores and finite temperature effects on the nuclear equation of state. We study black hole formation in neutron star mergers using a set of 190 numerical relativity simulations consisting of long-lived and black-hole-forming remnants. The postmerger gravitational-wave spectrum of a long-lived remnant has greatly reduced power at a frequency 𝑓 greater than 𝑓 peak , for 𝑓 ≳ 4 kHz, with 𝑓 peak ∈ [2.5,4] kHz. On the other hand, black-hole-forming remnants exhibit excess power in the same large 𝑓 region and manifest exponential damping in the time domain characteristic of a quasinormal mode. We demonstrate that the gravitational-wave signal from a collapsed remnant is indeed a quasinormal ringing. We report on the opportunity for direct detections of black hole formation with next-generation gravitational-wave detectors such as Cosmic Explorer and Einstein Telescope and set forth the tantalizing prospect of such observations up to a distance of 100 Mpc for an optimally oriented and located source with an SNR of 4.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗

DOE OSTI2023

Second release of the CoRe database of binary neutron star merger waveforms

Abstract We present the second data release of gravitational waveforms from binary neutron star (BNS) merger simulations performed by the Computational Relativity ( CoRe ) collaboration. The current database consists of 254 different BNS configurations and a total of 590 individual numerical-relativity simulations using various grid resolutions. The released waveform data contain the strain and the Weyl curvature multipoles up to ℓ = m = 4 . They span a significant portion of the mass, mass-ratio, spin and eccentricity parameter space and include targeted configurations to the events GW170817 and GW190425. CoRe simulations are performed with 18 different equations of state, seven of which are finite temperature models, and three of which account for non-hadronic degrees of freedom. About half of the released data are computed with high-order hydrodynamics schemes for tens of orbits to merger; the other half is computed with advanced microphysics. We showcase a standard waveform error analysis and discuss the accuracy of the database in terms of faithfulness. We present ready-to-use fitting formulas for equation of state-insensitive relations at merger (e.g. merger frequency), luminosity peak, and post-merger spectrum.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2022

r -process nucleosynthesis and kilonovae from hypermassive neutron star post-merger remnants

ABSTRACT We investigate r-process nucleosynthesis and kilonova emission resulting from binary neutron star (BNS) mergers based on a three-dimensional (3D) general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulation of a hypermassive neutron star (HMNS) remnant. The simulation includes a microphysical finite-temperature equation of state (EOS) and neutrino emission and absorption effects via a leakage scheme. We track the thermodynamic properties of the ejecta using Lagrangian tracer particles and determine its composition using the nuclear reaction network SkyNet. We investigate the impact of neutrinos on the nucleosynthetic yields by varying the neutrino luminosities during post-processing. The ejecta show a broad distribution with respect to their electron fraction Ye, peaking between ∼0.25–0.4 depending on the neutrino luminosity employed. We find that the resulting r-process abundance patterns differ from solar, with no significant production of material beyond the second r-process peak when using luminosities recorded by the tracer particles. We also map the HMNS outflows to the radiation hydrodynamics code SNEC and predict the evolution of the bolometric luminosity as well as broadband light curves of the kilonova. The bolometric light curve peaks on the timescale of a day and the brightest emission is seen in the infrared bands. This is the first direct calculation of the r-process yields and kilonova signal expected from HMNS winds based on 3D GRMHD simulations. For longer-lived remnants, these winds may be the dominant ejecta component producing the kilonova emission.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Numerical relativity simulations of the neutron star merger GW190425: microphysics and mass ratio effects

ABSTRACT GW190425 was the second gravitational wave (GW) signal compatible with a binary neutron star (BNS) merger detected by the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. Since no electromagnetic counterpart was identified, whether the associated kilonova was too dim or the localization area too broad is still an open question. We simulate 28 BNS mergers with the chirp mass of GW190425 and mass ratio 1 ≤ q ≤ 1.67, using numerical-relativity simulations with finite-temperature, composition dependent equations of state (EOS) and neutrino radiation. The energy emitted in GWs is $\lesssim 0.083\mathrm{\, M_\odot }c^2$ with peak luminosity of 1.1–$2.4\times ~10^{58}/(1+q)^2\, {\rm {erg \, s^{-1}}}$. Dynamical ejecta and disc mass range between 5 × 10−6–10−3 and 10−5–$0.1 \mathrm{\, M_\odot }$, respectively. Asymmetric mergers, especially with stiff EOSs, unbind more matter and form heavier discs compared to equal mass binaries. The angular momentum of the disc is 8–$10\mathrm{\, M_\odot }~GM_{\rm {disc}}/c$ over three orders of magnitude in Mdisc. While the nucleosynthesis shows no peculiarity, the simulated kilonovae are relatively dim compared with GW170817. For distances compatible with GW190425, AB magnitudes are always dimmer than ∼20 mag for the B, r, and K bands, with brighter kilonovae associated to more asymmetric binaries and stiffer EOSs. We suggest that, even assuming a good coverage of GW190425’s sky location, the kilonova could hardly have been detected by present wide-field surveys and no firm constraints on the binary parameters or EOS can be argued from the lack of the detection.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Probing the Incompressibility of Nuclear Matter at Ultrahigh Density through the Prompt Collapse of Asymmetric Neutron Star Binaries

Using 250 neutron star merger simulations with microphysics, we explore for the first time the role of nuclear incompressibility in the prompt collapse threshold for binaries with different mass ratios. We demonstrate that observations of prompt collapse thresholds, either from binaries with two different mass ratios or with one mass ratio but combined with the knowledge of the maximum neutron star mass or compactness, will constrain the incompressibility at the maximum neutron star density K max to within tens of percent. This otherwise inaccessible measure of K max can potentially reveal the presence of hyperons or quarks inside neutron stars.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Neutrino emission from binary neutron star mergers: characterising light curves and mean energies

Abstract Neutrinos are copiously emitted by neutron star mergers, due to the high temperatures reached by dense matter during the merger and its aftermath. Neutrinos influence the merger dynamics and shape the properties of the ejecta, including the resulting r -process nucleosynthesis and kilonova emission. In this work, we analyse neutrino emission from a large sample of binary neutron star merger simulations in Numerical Relativity, covering a broad range of initial masses, nuclear equation of state and viscosity treatments. We extract neutrino luminosities and mean energies, and compute quantities of interest such as the peak values, peak broadnesses, time averages and decrease time scales. We provide a systematic description of such quantities, including their dependence on the initial parameters of the system. We find that for equal-mass systems the total neutrino luminosity (several $$10^{53}{\hbox {erg}~{\hbox {s}}^{-1}}$$ 10 53 erg s - 1 ) decreases as the reduced tidal deformability increases, as a consequence of the less violent merger dynamics. Similarly, tidal disruption in asymmetric mergers leads to systematically smaller luminosities. Peak luminosities can be twice as large as the average ones. Electron antineutrino luminosities dominate (initially by a factor of 2-3) over electron neutrino ones, while electron neutrinos and heavy flavour neutrinos have similar luminosities. Mean energies are nearly constant in time and independent on the binary parameters. Their values reflect the different decoupling temperature inside the merger remnant. Despite present uncertainties in neutrino modelling, our results provide a broad and physically grounded characterisation of neutrino emission, and they can serve as a reference point to develop more sophisticated neutrino transport schemes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Numerical relativity simulations of prompt collapse mergers: Threshold mass and phenomenological constraints on neutron star properties after GW170817

We determine the threshold mass for prompt (no bounce) black hole formation in equal-mass neutron star (NS) mergers using a new set of 227 numerical relativity simulations. We consider 23 phenomenological and microphysical finite-temperature equations of state (EOS), including models with hyperons and first-order phase transitions to deconfined quarks. We confirm the existence of EOS-insensitive relations between the threshold mass, binary tidal parameter at the threshold (Λth), maximum mass of nonrotating NSs, and radii of reference mass NSs. We combine the EOS-insensitive relations, phenomenological constraints on NS properties, and observational data from GW170817 to derive an improved lower limit on radii of maximum mass and a 1.6 M ⊙ NS of 9.81 and 10.90 km, respectively. We also constrain the radius and quadrupolar tidal deformability (Λ) of a 1.4 M ⊙ NS to be larger than 10.74 km and 172, respectively. We consider uncertainties in all independent parameters—fitting coefficients as well as GW170817 masses while reporting the range of radii constraints. We discuss an approach to constrain the upper as well as lower limit of NS maximum mass using future binary NS detections and their identification as prompt or delayed collapse. With future observations, it will be possible to derive even tighter constraints on the properties of matter at and above nuclear density using the method proposed in this work.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Constraints on the Maximum Densities of Neutron Stars from Postmerger Gravitational Waves with Third-Generation Observations

Using data from 289 numerical relativity simulations of binary neutron star mergers, we identify, for the first time, a robust quasiuniversal relation connecting the postmerger peak gravitational-wave frequency and the value of the density at the center of the maximum mass nonrotating neutron star. This relation offers a new possibility for precision equation-of-state constraints with next-generation ground-based gravitational-wave interferometers. Mock Einstein Telescope observations of fiducial events indicate that Bayesian inferences can constrain the maximum density to ~15% (90% credibility level) for a single signal at the minimum sensitivity threshold for a detection. If the postmerger signal is included in a full-spectrum (inspiral-merger-postmerger) analysis of such a signal, the pressure-density function can be tightly constrained up to the maximum density, and the maximum neutron star mass can be measured with an accuracy better than 12% (90% credibility level).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2022

A new moment-based general-relativistic neutrino-radiation transport code: Methods and first applications to neutron star mergers

ABSTRACT We present a new moment-based energy-integrated neutrino transport code for neutron star merger simulations in general relativity. In the merger context, ours is the first code to include Doppler effects at all orders in υ/c, retaining all non-linear neutrino–matter coupling terms. The code is validated with a stringent series of tests. We show that the inclusion of full neutrino–matter coupling terms is necessary to correctly capture the trapping of neutrinos in relativistically moving media, such as in differentially rotating merger remnants. We perform preliminary simulations proving the robustness of the scheme in simulating ab-initio mergers to black hole collapse and long-term neutron star remnants up to ${\sim }70\,$ ms. The latter is the longest dynamical space-time, 3D, general relativistic simulations with full neutrino transport to date. We compare results obtained at different resolutions and using two different closures for the moment scheme. We do not find evidences of significant out-of-thermodynamic equilibrium effects, such as bulk viscosity, on the post-merger dynamics or gravitational wave emission. Neutrino luminosities and average energies are in good agreement with theory expectations and previous simulations by other groups using similar schemes. We compare dynamical and early wind ejecta properties obtained with M1 and with our older neutrino treatment. We find that the M1 results have systematically larger proton fractions. However, the differences in the nucleosynthesis yields are modest. This work sets the basis for future detailed studies spanning a wider set of neutrino reactions, binaries, and equations of state.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Radiation hydrodynamics modelling of kilonovae with SNEC

ABSTRACT We develop a method to compute synthetic kilonova light curves that combine numerical relativity simulations of neutron star mergers and the SNEC radiation–hydrodynamics code. We describe our implementation of initial and boundary conditions, r-process heating, and opacities for kilonova simulations. We validate our approach by carefully checking that energy conservation is satisfied and by comparing the SNEC results with those of two semi-analytic light-curve models. We apply our code to the calculation of colour light curves for three binaries having different mass ratios (equal and unequal mass) and different merger outcome (short-lived and long-lived remnants). We study the sensitivity of our results to hydrodynamic effects, nuclear physics uncertainties in the heating rates, and duration of the merger simulations. We find that hydrodynamics effects are typically negligible and that homologous expansion is a good approximation in most cases. However, pressure forces can amplify the impact of uncertainties in the radioactive heating rates. We also study the impact of shocks possibly launched into the outflows by a relativistic jet. None of our models match AT2017gfo, the kilonova in GW170817. This points to possible deficiencies in our merger simulations and kilonova models that neglect non-LTE effects and possible additional energy injection from the merger remnant and to the need to go beyond the assumption of spherical symmetry adopted in this work.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2021

Signatures of deconfined quark phases in binary neutron star mergers

We investigate the quark deconfinement phase transition in the context of binary neutron star (BNS) mergers. We employ a new finite-temperature composition-dependent equation of state (EOS) with a first order phase transition between hadrons and deconfined quarks to perform numerical relativity simulations of BNS mergers. Here, the softening of the EOS due to the phase transition causes the merger remnants to be more compact and to collapse to a black hole (BH) at earlier times. The phase transition is imprinted on the postmerger gravitational wave (GW) signal duration, amplitude, and peak frequency. However, this imprint is only detectable for binaries with sufficiently long-lived remnants. Moreover, the phase transition does not result in significant deviations from quasi-universal relations for the postmerger GW peak frequency. We also study the impact of the phase transition on dynamical ejecta, remnant accretion disk masses, r-process nucleosynthetic yields and associated electromagnetic (EM) counterparts. While there are differences in the EM counterparts and nucleosynthesis yields between the purely hadronic models and the models with phase transitions, these can be primarily ascribed to the difference in remnant collapse time between the two. An exception is the non-thermal afterglow caused by the interaction of the fastest component of the dynamical ejecta and the interstellar medium, which is systematically boosted in the binaries with phase transition as a consequence of the more violent merger they experience.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2021

Dynamical ejecta synchrotron emission as a possible contributor to the changing behaviour of GRB170817A afterglow

ABSTRACT Over the past 3 yr, the fading non-thermal emission from the GW170817 remained generally consistent with the afterglow powered by synchrotron radiation produced by the interaction of the structured jet with the ambient medium. Recent observations by Hajela et al. indicate the change in temporal and spectral behaviour in the X-ray band. We show that the new observations are compatible with the emergence of a new component due to non-thermal emission from the fast tail of the dynamical ejecta of ab-initio binary neutron star merger simulations. This provides a new avenue to constrain binary parameters. Specifically, we find that equal mass models with soft equations of state (EOSs) and high-mass ratio models with stiff EOSs are disfavoured as they typically predict afterglows that peak too early to explain the recent observations. Moderate stiffness and mass ratio models, instead, tend to be in good overall agreement with the data.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2021

AT2017gfo: Bayesian inference and model selection of multicomponent kilonovae and constraints on the neutron star equation of state

The joint detection of the gravitational wave GW170817, of the short γ-ray burst GRB170817A and of the kilonova AT2017gfo, generated by the the binary neutron star (NS) merger observed on 2017 August 17, is a milestone in multimessenger astronomy and provides new constraints on the NS equation of state. We perform Bayesian inference and model selection on AT2017gfo using semi-analytical, multicomponents models that also account for non-spherical ejecta. Observational data favour anisotropic geometries to spherically symmetric profiles, with a log-Bayes’ factor of ~104, and favour multicomponent models against single-component ones. The best-fitting model is an anisotropic three-component composed of dynamical ejecta plus neutrino and viscous winds. Using the dynamical ejecta parameters inferred from the best-fitting model and numerical–relativity relations connecting the ejecta properties to the binary properties, we constrain the binary mass ratio to q < 1.54 and the reduced tidal parameter to $120\lt \tilde{\Lambda }\lt 1110$. Finally, we combine the predictions from AT2017gfo with those from GW170817, constraining the radius of a NS of 1.4 M ⊙ to 12.2 ± 0.5 km (1σ level). This prediction could be further strengthened by improving kilonova models with numerical-relativity information.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2020

Thermodynamics conditions of matter in the neutrino decoupling region during neutron star mergers

In this work we investigate the thermodynamics conditions at which neutrinos decouple from matter in neutron star merger remnants by post-processing results of merger simulations. We find that the matter density and the neutrino energies are the most relevant quantities in determining the decoupling surface location. For mean energy neutrinos (~9, 15 and 24 MeV for ν e , $\bar{ν}$ e and ν μ,τ , respectively) the transition between diffusion and free-streaming conditions occurs around 10 11 g cm -3 for all neutrino species. Weak and thermal equilibrium freeze-out occurs deeper (several 10 12 g cm -3 ) for heavy-flavor neutrinos than for $\bar{ν}$ e and ν e (≳10 11 g cm -3 ). Decoupling temperatures are broadly in agreement with the average neutrino energies, with softer equations of state characterized by ~1 MeV larger decoupling temperatures. Neutrinos streaming at infinity with different energies come from different remnant parts. While low-energy neutrinos (~3 MeV) decouple at ρ~10 13 g cm -3 , T~10 MeV and Y e ≲0.1 close to weak equilibrium, high-energy ones (~50 MeV ) decouple from the disk at ρ~10 9 g cm -3 , T~2 MeV and Y e ≳0.25. The presence of a massive NS or a BH influences the neutrino thermalization. While in the former case decoupling surfaces are present for all relevant energies, the lower maximum density ( ≲10 12 g cm -3 ) in BH-torus systems does not allow softer neutrinos to thermalize and diffuse.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗