DOE OSTI · 3374204
Chasing Gamma-Ray Signals from Binary Neutron Star Coalescences with the Cherenkov Telescope Array: Prospects and Observing Strategies
Abstract
The detection of gravitational waves (GWs) from a binary neutron star (BNS) merger by Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo (GW170817), together with its electromagnetic counterpart, the short gamma-ray burst GRB 170817A, heralded the birth of multimessenger astronomy. The detection of TeV emission from GRBs motivates follow-up observations with the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO), which is ideal for detecting such signals due to its unprecedented sensitivity, rapid response, and wide-field survey capabilities. The aim of this work is to evaluate GeV–TeV GW follow-up strategies for CTAO using a multistep simulation pipeline and to estimate the expected rate of joint GW–GRB detections during observing run O5. Using a simulated sample of BNS systems with corresponding GW detections, gamma-ray emission is simulated through phenomenological prescriptions based on the observed population of short GRBs, including off-axis jet scenarios. CTAO observations are simulated to account for instrument response, sky tiling strategies, integration times, and varying observing conditions. Strategies with variable and constant integration times are investigated. We find that, via an optimized follow-up strategy, about 5% of simulated GW-associated short GRBs produce GeV–TeV radiation detectable by CTAO. Detectability is strongly influenced by the jet opening angle and viewing angle, suggesting that even rough estimates of the viewing angle in GW alerts could enhance targeting. This framework motivates future follow-ups of GW-detectable events, including neutron star–black hole mergers, and further supports the development of advanced strategies incorporating galaxy distributions and synergies with future detectors such as the Einstein Telescope.
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Abe, S. [University of Tokyo] (ORCID:0000000172503596), Abhir, J. [Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics] (ORCID:0000000182154377), Abhishek, A. [INFN and Università degli Studi di Siena] (ORCID:0009000552397905), Acero, F. [Université Paris-Saclay; FSLAC IRL 2009] (ORCID:0000000266062816), Acharyya, A. [University of Alabama] (ORCID:0000000220289230), Adam, R. [Université Côte d’Azur; Institut Polytechnique de Paris] (ORCID:0009000053801109), Aguasca-Cabot, A. [Universitat de Barcelona] (ORCID:0000000188164920), Agudo, I. [Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía-CSIC] (ORCID:0000000237776182), Albanese, I. [INFN Sezione di Padova and Università degli Studi di Padova] (ORCID:0009000662235018), Alfaro, J. [Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile], Alispach, C. [University de Genève] (ORCID:0000000237911997), Alves Batista, R. [Sorbonne Université] (ORCID:000000032656064X), Amato, E. [INAF - Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri], Ambrosi, G. [INFN Sezione di Perugia and Università degli Studi di Perugia] (ORCID:0000000169779559), Ambrosino, D. [INFN Sezione di Napoli; Università degli Studi di Napoli “Federico II”—Dipartimento di Fisica “E. Pancini”] (ORCID:000900056578893X), Ambrosino, F. [INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma] (ORCID:000000017915996X), Angel, L. [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte] (ORCID:0000000336846553), Aramo, C. [INFN Sezione di Napoli], Arbet-Engels, A. [Max-Planck-Institut für Physik], Arcaro, C. [INFN Sezione di Padova] (ORCID:0000000219989707), Arena, C. [INAF—Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania] (ORCID:0000000203198791), Arnesen, T. T. H. [Universidad de La Laguna] (ORCID:0009000408160700), Asano, K. [University of Tokyo] (ORCID:000000019064160X), Ashkar, H. [Institut Polytechnique de Paris; Institute of Space Sciences (ICE] (ORCID:0000000221531818), Bakshi, C. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics] (ORCID:0009000718435386), Balazs, C. [Monash University] (ORCID:0000000171541726), Balbo, M. [University de Genève] (ORCID:0000000265563344), Baquero Larriva, A. [Universidad Complutense de Madrid; Universidad del Azuay] (ORCID:0000000217575826), Barbosa Martins, V. [Ruhr University Bochum] (ORCID:0000000250858828), Barrio, J. A. [Universidad Complutense de Madrid] (ORCID:0000000209650259), Bartolini, C. [Università degli Studi di Trento; INFN Sezione di Bari and Università degli Studi di Bari] (ORCID:0000000172339546), Batković, I. [INFN Sezione di Padova and Università degli Studi di Padova] (ORCID:0000000212092542), Batzofin, R. [Universität Potsdam] (ORCID:0000000257973386), Bavdaz, N. [University of Nova Gorica] (ORCID:0009000089542057), Becerra González, J. [Universidad de La Laguna; Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)] (ORCID:0000000267299022), Beck, G. [University of the Witwatersrand] (ORCID:0000000349164914), Benbow, W. [Center for Astrophysics ∣ Harvard & Smithsonian] (ORCID:000000032098170X), Bernardini, E. [INFN Sezione di Padova and Università degli Studi di Padova] (ORCID:0000000331081141), Bernardini, M. G. [INAF—Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera; Université de Montpellier] (ORCID:0000000161063046), Bernete, J. [CIEMAT] (ORCID:0000000281087552), Berti, A. [Max-Planck-Institut für Physik] (ORCID:0000000303964190), Bertucci, B. [INFN Sezione di Perugia and Università degli Studi di Perugia] (ORCID:000000017584293X), Beshley, V. [Pidstryhach Institute for Applied Problems in Mechanics and Mathematics NASU] (ORCID:0000000226880224), Bhattacharjee, P. [University of Nova Gorica] (ORCID:0000000202583831), Bhattacharyya, S. [University of Nova Gorica] (ORCID:0000000265695953), Bigongiari, C. [INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma; INFN Sezione di Roma Tor Vergata] (ORCID:0000000332938522), Biland, A. [Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics] (ORCID:000000021288833X), Bissaldi, E. [Politecnico di Bari; INFN Sezione di Bari] (ORCID:0000000199358106), Blaña, M. [Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile] (ORCID:0000000321390944), Blanch, O. [Institut de Fisica d’Altes Energies (IFAE)] (ORCID:0000000283801633), Blazek, J. [FZU - Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences] (ORCID:0000000258708947), Boisson, C. [Université PSL] (ORCID:0000000158931797), Bonnoli, G. [INAF—Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera; INFN Sezione di Pisa] (ORCID:0000000324649077), Bosnjak, Z. [University of Zagreb] (ORCID:0000000165360320), Bottacini, E. [INFN Sezione di Padova and Università degli Studi di Padova] (ORCID:0000000195790487), Böttcher, M. [North-West University] (ORCID:0000000284345692), Bronzini, E. [INAF - Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello spazio di Bologna] (ORCID:0000000183784303), Brunelli, G. [INAF - Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello spazio di Bologna] (ORCID:0009000820782456), Buces Sáez, J. [Universidad Complutense de Madrid] (ORCID:000900068913126X), Bulgarelli, A. [INAF - Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello spazio di Bologna], Bulik, T. [University of Warsaw] (ORCID:0000000320454803), Burmistrov, L. [University de Genève], Calisse, P. G. [CTAO], Campoy-Ordaz, A. [Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona] (ORCID:0000000193528936), Cantlay, B. K. [Kasetsart University; National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand] (ORCID:0009000287506401), Capasso, G. [INAF—Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte] (ORCID:0000000244724858), Caproni, A. [Universidade Cidade de São Paulo] (ORCID:0000000197073895), Capuzzo-Dolcetta, R. [INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma; University of Roma] (ORCID:0000000268719519), Cardillo, M. [INAF—Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali (IAPS)], Caroff, S. [Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc] (ORCID:000000021103130X), Carosi, A. [INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma], Carquin, E. [Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María] (ORCID:0000000278631166), Casanova, S. [Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik], Cascone, E. [INAF—Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte] (ORCID:0000000274257517), Cassol, F. [Aix Marseille Univ] (ORCID:0000000203721992), Castignani, G. [INAF - Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello spazio di Bologna] (ORCID:0000000168310687), Catalani, F. [Escola de Engenharia de Lorena] (ORCID:0000000193321476), Cerasole, D. [INFN Sezione di Bari and Università degli Studi di Bari] (ORCID:000000032033756X), Cerruti, M. [Université Paris Cité] (ORCID:000000017891699X), Cerviño Cortínez, A. [Universidad Complutense de Madrid] (ORCID:0009000715669507), Chadwick, P. M. [Durham University] (ORCID:0000000214682685), Chaty, S. [Université Paris Cité] (ORCID:0000000257698601), Chen, A. W. [University of the Witwatersrand] (ORCID:0000000164255692), Chen, Y. [University of California] (ORCID:000900015719936X), Chernyakova, M. [Dublin City University] (ORCID:0000000297353608), Chiavassa, A. [INFN Sezione di Torino; Dipartimento di Fisica - Università degli Studi di Torino] (ORCID:0000000161832589), Chon, G. [Max-Planck-Institut für Physik] (ORCID:0000000210321970), Chudoba, J. [FZU - Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences] (ORCID:0000000264252579), Chytka, L. [FZU - Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences] (ORCID:000000015741259X), Cicciari, G. M. [Università degli Studi di Palermo; INFN Sezione di Catania] (ORCID:000900073885051X), Cifuentes Santos, A. [CIEMAT] (ORCID:0000000310335296), Coimbra Araujo, C. H. [Universidade Federal Do Paraná - Setor Palotina] (ORCID:0000000335882587), Contreras, J. L. [Universidad Complutense de Madrid] (ORCID:0000000172822394), Cornejo, B. [Université Paris-Saclay] (ORCID:0009000300390483), Cortina, J. [CIEMAT] (ORCID:0000000345760452), Costa, A. [INAF—Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania] (ORCID:0000000303448911), Cotter, G. [University of Oxford] (ORCID:0000000299751829), Cristofari, P. [Université PSL], Cuevas, O. [Universidad de Valparaíso] (ORCID:0009000480372847), Curtis-Ginsberg, Z. [University of Wisconsin] (ORCID:0000000201947576). 2026-06-03. Chasing Gamma-Ray Signals from Binary Neutron Star Coalescences with the Cherenkov Telescope Array: Prospects and Observing Strategies. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357%2Fae658c
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