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NASA NTRS2011

Implementation and Testing of the First Prompt for Electromagnetic Counterparts to Gravitational Wave Transients

A transient astrophysical event observed in both gravitational wave (GW) and electromagnetic (EM) channels would yield rich scientific rewards. A first program initiating EM follow-ups to possible transient GW events has been developed and exercised by the LIGO and Virgo community in association with several partners. In this paper, we describe and evaluate the methods used to promptly identify and localize GW event candidates and to request images of targeted sky locations. Methods. During two observing periods (Dec 17 2009 to Jan 8 2010 and Sep 2 to Oct 20 2010), a low-latency analysis pipeline was used to identify GW-event candidates and to reconstruct-maps of possible sky locations. A catalog of nearby galaxies and Milky Way globular clusters was used to select the most promising sky positions to be imaged, and this directional information was delivered to EM observatories with time lags of about thirty minutes. A Monte Carlo simulation has been used to evaluate the low-latency GW pipeline s ability to reconstruct source positions correctly. Results. For signals near the detection threshold, our low-latency algorithms often localized simulated GW burst signals to tens of square degrees, while neutron star/neutron star inspirals and neutron star/black hole inspirals were localized to a few hundred square degrees. Localization precision improves for moderately stronger signals. The correct sky location of signals well above threshold and originating from nearby galaxies may be observed with 50% or better probability with a few pointings of wide-field telescopes.

Abadie, J.↗
DOE OSTI2020

On the Minimum Radius of Very Massive Neutron Stars

Prospects of establishing the radii of massive neutron stars in PSR J1614 – 2230 and PSR J0740 + 6620 from Neutron Star Interior Composition ExploreR and Chandra observatories hold the potential to constrain the equation of state (EoS) of matter to densities well beyond those encountered in canonical stars of mass $\sim 1.4\,{M}_{\odot }$. In this work, we investigate the relation between the radii of very massive neutron stars up to the maximum mass, ${M}_{\max }$, supported by dense matter EoSs. Results from models with hadronic matter are contrasted with those that include a first-order hadron-to-quark phase transition. We find that a lower bound on ${M}_{\max }$ with an upper bound on the radius of massive pulsars serves to rule out quark matter that is too soft, and an upper bound on ${M}_{\max }$ with a lower bound on the radius of massive pulsars strongly disfavors a transition into quark matter that is too stiff appearing at low densities. In conclusion, the complementary role played by radius inferences from future gravitational-wave events of inspiraling binary neutron stars is also briefly discussed.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2019

GROWTH on S190510g: DECam Observation Planning and Follow-up of a Distant Binary Neutron Star Merger Candidate

The first two months of the third Advanced LIGO and Virgo observing run (2019 April–May) showed that distant gravitational-wave (GW) events can now be readily detected. Three candidate mergers containing neutron stars (NS) were reported in a span of 15 days, all likely located more than 100 Mpc away. However, distant events such as the three new NS mergers are likely to be coarsely localized, which highlights the importance of facilities and scheduling systems that enable deep observations over hundreds to thousands of square degrees to detect the electromagnetic counterparts. On 2019 May 10 02:59:39.292 UT the GW candidate S190510g was discovered and initially classified as a binary neutron star (BNS) merger with 98% probability. The GW event was localized within an area of 3462 deg2, later refined to 1166 deg2 (90%) at a distance of 227 ± 92 Mpc. We triggered Target-of-Opportunity observations with the Dark Energy Camera (DECam), a wide-field optical imager mounted at the prime focus of the 4 m Blanco Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. This Letter describes our DECam observations and our real-time analysis results, focusing in particular on the design and implementation of the observing strategy. Within 24 hr of the merger time, we observed 65% of the total enclosed probability of the final skymap with an observing efficiency of 94%. We identified and publicly announced 13 candidate counterparts. S190510g was reclassified 1.7 days after the merger, after our observations were completed, with a "BNS merger" probability reduced from 98% to 42% in favor of a "terrestrial classification.

Igor Andreoni↗
NASA NTRS2019

A Realistic Roadmap to Formation Flying Space Interferometry

The ultimate astronomical observatory would be a formation flying interferometer in space, immune to atmospheric turbulence and absorption, free from atmospheric and telescope thermal emission, and reconfigurable to adjust baselines according to the required angular resolution. Imagine the near/mid-infrared sensitivity of the JWST and the far-IR sensitivity of Herschel but with ALMA-level angular resolution, or imagine having the precision control to null host star light across 250m baselines and to detect molecules from the atmospheres of nearby exo-Earths. With no practical engineering limit to the formation’s size or number of telescopes in the array, formation flying interferometry will revolutionize astronomy and this White Paper makes the case that it is now time to accelerate investments in this technological area. Here we provide a brief overview of the required technologies needed to allow light to be collected and interfered using separate spacecrafts. We emphasize the emerging role of inexpensive smallSat projects and the excitement for the LISA Gravitational Wave Interferometer to push development of the required engineering building-blocks. We urge the Astro2020 Decadal Survey Committee to highlight the need for a small-scale formation flying space interferometer project to demonstrate end-to-end competency with a timeline for first stellar fringes by the end of the decade.

Gioia Rau↗
NASA NTRS2013

Methods and Results of a Search for Gravitational Waves Associated with Gamma-Ray Bursts Using the GEO 600, LIGO, and Virgo Detectors

In this paper we report on a search for short-duration gravitational wave bursts in the frequency range 64 Hz-1792 Hz associated with gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), using data from GEO600 and one of the LIGO or Virgo detectors. We introduce the method of a linear search grid to analyze GRB events with large sky localization uncertainties such as the localizations provided by the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM). Coherent searches for gravitational waves (GWs) can be computationally intensive when the GRB sky position is not well-localized, due to the corrections required for the difference in arrival time between detectors. Using a linear search grid we are able to reduce the computational cost of the analysis by a factor of O(10) for GBM events. Furthermore, we demonstrate that our analysis pipeline can improve upon the sky localization of GRBs detected by the GBM, if a high-frequency GW signal is observed in coincidence. We use the linear search grid method in a search for GWs associated with 129 GRBs observed satellite-based gamma-ray experiments between 2006 and 2011. The GRBs in our sample had not been previously analyzed for GW counterparts. A fraction of our GRB events are analyzed using data from GEO600 while the detector was using squeezed-light states to improve its sensitivity; this is the first search for GWs using data from a squeezed-light interferometric observatory. We find no evidence for GW signals, either with any individual GRB in this sample or with the population as a whole. For each GRB we place lower bounds on the distance to the progenitor, assuming a fixed GW emission energy of 10(exp -2)Stellar Mass sq c, with a median exclusion distance of 0.8 Mpc for emission at 500 Hz and 0.3 Mpc at 1 kHz. The reduced computational cost associated with a linear search grid will enable rapid searches for GWs associated with Fermi GBM events in the Advanced detector era.

methods↗
NASA NTRS2019

Multimessenger Science Opportunities with mHz Gravitational Waves

LISA will open the mHz band of gravitational waves (GWs) to the astronomy community. Thestrong gravity which powers the variety of GW sources in this band is also crucial in a numberof important astrophysical processes at the current frontiers of astronomy. These range fromthe beginning of structure formation in the early universe, through the origin and cosmic evolutionof massive black holes in concert with their galactic environments, to the evolution ofstellar remnant binaries in the Milky Way and in nearby galaxies. These processes and theirassociated populations also drive current and future observations across the electromagnetic(EM) spectrum. We review opportunities for science breakthroughs, involving either direct coincidentEM+GW observations, or indirect multimessenger studies. We argue that for the UScommunity to fully capitalize on the opportunities from the LISA mission, the US efforts shouldbe accompanied by a coordinated and sustained program of multi-disciplinary science investment,following the GW data through to its impact on broad areas of astrophysics. Supportfor LISA-related multimessenger observers and theorists should be sized appropriately for aflagship observatory and may be coordinated through a dedicated mHz GW research center.

Baker, John↗
DOE OSTI2024

Exploring dark forces with multimessenger studies of extreme mass ratio inspirals

Abstract The exploration of dark sector interactions via gravitational waves (GWs) from binary inspirals has been a subject of recent interest. We study dark forces using extreme mass ratio inspirals (EMRIs), pointing out two issues of interest. Firstly, the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO) of the EMRI, which sets the characteristic length scale of the system and hence the dark force range to which it exhibits enhanced sensitivity, probes force mediator masses that complement those studied with supermassive black hole (SMBH) or neutron star binaries. The LISA mission (the proposedμAres detector) will probe mediators with massesm V ∼ 10 -16 eV (m V ∼ 10 -18 eV), corresponding to ISCOs of 10 6 M ⊙ (10 8 M ⊙ ) central SMBHs. Secondly, while the sensitivity to dark couplings is typically limited by the uncertainty in the binary component masses, independent mass measurements of the central SMBH through reverberation mapping campaigns or the motion of dynamical tracers enable one to break this degeneracy. Our results therefore highlight the necessity for coordinated studies, loosely referred to as “multimessenger”, between futureμHz- mHz GW observatories and ongoing and forthcoming SMBH mass measurement campaigns, including OzDES-RM, SDSS-RM, and SDSS-V Black Hole Mapper.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
DOE OSTI2022

Delensing the CMB with the cosmic infrared background: the impact of foregrounds

ABSTRACT The most promising avenue for detecting primordial gravitational waves from cosmic inflation is through measurements of degree-scale cosmic microwave background (CMB) B-mode polarization. This approach must face the challenge posed by gravitational lensing of the CMB, which obscures the signal of interest. Fortunately, the lensing effects can be partially removed by combining high-resolution E-mode measurements with an estimate of the projected matter distribution. For near-future experiments, the best estimate of the latter will arise from co-adding internal reconstructions (derived from the CMB itself) with external tracers such as the cosmic infrared background (CIB). In this work, we characterize how foregrounds impact the delensing procedure when CIB intensity, I, is used as the matter tracer. We find that higher point functions of the CIB and Galactic dust such as 〈BEI〉c and 〈EIEI〉c can, in principle, bias the power spectrum of delensed B-modes. To quantify these, we first estimate the dust residuals in currently available CIB maps and upcoming, foreground-cleaned Simons Observatory CMB data. Then, using non-Gaussian simulations of Galactic dust – extrapolated to the relevant frequencies, assuming the spectral index of polarized dust emission to be fixed at the value determined by Planck – we show that the bias to any primordial signal is small compared to statistical errors for ground-based experiments, but might be significant for space-based experiments probing very large angular scales. However, mitigation techniques based on multifrequency cleaning appear to be very effective. We also show, by means of an analytical model, that the bias arising from the higher point functions of the CIB itself ought to be negligible.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Crescendo beyond the horizon: More gravitational waves from domain walls bounded by inflated cosmic strings

Gravitational-wave (GW) signals offer a unique window into the dynamics of the early universe. GWs may be generated by the topological defects produced in the early universe, which contain information on the symmetry of UV physics. We consider the case in which a two-step phase transition produces a network of domain walls bounded by cosmic strings. Specifically, we focus on the case in which there is a hierarchy in the symmetry-breaking scales, and a period of inflation pushes the cosmic string generated in the first phase transition outside the horizon before the second phase transition. We show that the GW signal from the evolution and collapse of this string-wall network has a unique spectrum, and the resulting signal strength can be sizeable. In particular, depending on the model parameters, the resulting signal can show up in a broad range of frequencies and can be discovered by a multitude of future probes, including the pulsar timing arrays and space- and ground-based GW observatories. As an example that naturally gives rise to this scenario, we present a model with the first phase transition followed by a brief period of thermal inflation driven by the field responsible for the second stage of symmetry breaking. Here, the model can be embedded into a supersymmetric setup, which provides a natural realization of this scenario. In this case, the successful detection of the peak of the GW spectrum probes the soft supersymmetry breaking scale and the wall tension.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Atacama Cosmology Telescope: B-mode delensing with DR6 data and external tracers of large-scale structure

Large-scale -mode polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) is a prime target for current and future experiments in search of primordial gravitational waves. With increasingly sensitive instruments being deployed, secondary -modes induced by the weak gravitational lensing of CMB photons are becoming an important limitation and need to be removed, a process known as delensing. In this work, we combine internally reconstructed CMB lensing maps from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) data release 6 (DR6) with galaxy samples from unWISE and a map of the cosmic infrared background (CIB) fluctuations from Planck to produce a well-correlated tracer of the CMB lensing field. Our coadded tracer, shown to be 55%–85% correlated with the true lensing convergence at multipoles , is then convolved with ACT DR6 -mode polarization to yield a template of the lensing -modes. We assess its performance on a wide range of scales by using it to delens ACT DR6 and Planck -modes over 23% of the sky, removing around 39% of the lensing power at and 47% at , respectively. Our template achieves the highest delensing efficiency to date and will be useful for the analysis of early polarization maps from the Simons Observatory. We finally outline prospects for further improvements by including additional large-scale structure tracers from upcoming cosmological surveys.

Hertig, Emilie↗
DOE OSTI2025

Distinguishing prompt-collapse binary neutron star mergers from binary black Holes: Tidal effects and remnant properties

We study the properties of remnants formed in prompt-collapse binary neutron star mergers. We consider nonspinning neutron star binaries over a range of total masses and mass ratios across a set of 22 equations of state, totaling 107 numerical relativity simulations. We report the final mass and spin of the systems (including the accretion disk and ejecta) to be constrained in a narrow range—0.98 ≲ 𝑀 𝑓 /𝑀 ≲ 0.99 for the mass and 0.85 ≲ 𝑎 𝑓 ≲ 0.95 for the dimensionless spin—regardless of the binary configuration and matter effects. This sets them apart from binary black hole merger remnants. We assess the detectability of the postmerger signal in a future 40 km Cosmic Explorer observatory and find that the signal-to-noise ratio in the postmerger of an optimally located and oriented binary at a distance of 100 Mpc can range from <1 to 8, depending on the binary configuration and equation of state, with a majority of them greater than 4 in the set of simulations that we consider. We also consider the distinguishability between prompt-collapse binary neutron star and binary black hole mergers with the same masses and spins. We find that Cosmic Explorer will be able to distinguish such systems primarily via the measurement of tidal effects in the late inspiral. Neutron star binaries with reduced tidal deformability $\tilde{Λ}$ as small as ∼ 3.5 can be identified up to a distance of 100 Mpc, while neutron star binaries with $\tilde{Λ}$ ∼ 22 can be identified to distances greater than 250 Mpc. This is larger than the distance up to which the postmerger will be visible. Finally, we discuss the possible implications of our findings for the equation of state of neutron stars from the gravitational wave event GW230529.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

The Kangaroo’s First Hop: The Early Fast Cooling Phase of EP250108a/SN 2025kg

Fast X-ray transients are a rare and poorly understood population of events. Previously difficult to detect in real time, the launch of the Einstein Probe with its Wide-field X-ray Telescope has led to a rapid expansionof the sample and allowed the exploration of these transients across the electromagnetic spectrum. EP250108a is a recently detected example linked to an optical counterpart, SN 2025kg, or “the kangaroo.” Together with a companion Letter we present our observing campaign and analysis of this event. In this letter, we focus on the early evolution of the optical counterpart over the first 6 days, including our measurement of the redshift of z = 0.17641. We compare to other supernovae and fast transients showing similar features, finding significant similarities with SN 2006aj and SN 2020bvc, and show that the source is well modelled by a rapidly expanding cooling blackbody. We show the observed X-ray and radio properties are consistent with a collapsar-powered jet that is low energy (≲10 51 erg) and/or fails to break out of the dense material surrounding it. While we examine the possibility that the optical emission emerges from the shock produced as the supernova ejecta expand into a dense shell of circumstellar material, due to our X-ray and radio inferences, we favour a model where it arises from a shocked cocoon resulting from a trapped jet. This makes SN 2025 one of the few examples of this currently observationally rare event.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Revealing the strength of three-nucleon interactions with the proposed Einstein Telescope

Nuclear systems, ranging from atomic nuclei to dense matter probed in neutron stars, are governed by strong interactions. Three-nucleon forces have been found to be a crucial ingredient for the reliable description of these systems. Here, in this work, we explore how astrophysical data on neutron stars and their mergers from current and next-generation observatories will enable us to distinguish nuclear Hamiltonians. In particular, we investigate two different nuclear Hamiltonians that have been adjusted to reproduce two-nucleon scattering data and properties of light nuclei, but differ in the three-nucleon interactions among neutrons. We find that no significant constraints can be obtained from current data, but that the proposed Einstein Telescope could provide strong evidence to distinguish among these Hamiltonians.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Gamma Rays from Kilonova: A Potential Probe of r-process Nucleosynthesis

The mergers of compact binaries with at least one neutron star component are the potential leading sites of the production and ejection of r-process elements. Discoveries of galactic binary pulsars, short gamma-ray bursts, and gravitational-wave detections have all been constraining the rate of these events, while the gravitational wave plus broadband electromagnetic coverage of binary neutron star merger (GW170817) has also placed constraints on the properties (mass and composition) of the merger ejecta. But uncertainties and ambiguities in modeling the optical and infrared emission make it difficult to definitively measure the distribution of heavy isotopes in these mergers. In contrast, gamma rays emitted in the decay of these neutron-rich ejecta may provide a more direct measurement of the yields. We calculate the gamma production in remnants of neutron star mergers, considering two epochs: a kilonova epoch, lasting about two weeks, and a much later epoch of tens and hundreds of thousands of years after the merger. For the kilonova epoch, when the expanding ejecta is still only partially transparent to gamma radiation, we use 3D radiative transport simulations to produce the spectra. Futhermore, we show that the gamma-ray spectra associated with beta- and alpha-decay provide a fingerprint of the ejecta properties and, for a sufficiently nearby remnant, may be detectable, even for old remnants. We compare our gamma spectra with the potential detection limits of next generation detectors, including the Lunar Occultation Explorer (LOX), the All-sky Medium Energy Gamma-ray Observatory (AMEGO), and the Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI). We show that fission models can be discriminated via the presence of short-lived fission fragments in the remnant spectra.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Discovery of a Candidate Binary Supermassive Black Hole in a Periodic Quasar from Circumbinary Accretion Variability

Binary supermassive black holes (BSBHs) are expected to be a generic byproduct from hierarchical galaxy formation. The final coalescence of BSBHs is thought to be the loudest gravitational wave (GW) siren, yet no confirmed BSBH is known in the GW-dominated regime. While periodic quasars have been proposed as BSBH candidates, the physical origin of the periodicity has been largely uncertain. Here we report discovery of a periodicity (P=1607±7 days) at 99.95% significance (with a global p-value of ~10 –3 accounting for the look elsewhere effect) in the optical light curves of a redshift 1.53 quasar, SDSS J025214.67–002813.7. Combining archival Sloan Digital Sky Survey data with new, sensitive imaging from the Dark Energy Survey, the total ~20-yr time baseline spans ~4.6 cycles of the observed 4.4-yr (restframe 1.7-yr) periodicity. The light curves are best fit by a bursty model predicted by hydrodynamic simulations of circumbinary accretion disks. The periodicity is likely caused by accretion rate modulation by a milli-parsec BSBH emitting GWs, dynamically coupled to the circumbinary accretion disk. A bursty hydrodynamic variability model is statistically preferred over a smooth, sinusoidal model expected from relativistic Doppler boost, a kinematic effect proposed for PG1302–102. Furthermore, the frequency dependence of the variability amplitudes disfavors Doppler boost, lending independent support to the circumbinary accretion variability hypothesis. Given our detection rate of one BSBH candidate from circumbinary accretion variability out of 625 quasars, it suggests that future large, sensitive synoptic surveys such as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time may be able to detect hundreds to thousands of candidate BSBHs from circumbinary accretion with direct implications for Laser Interferometer Space Antenna.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Impact of GW170817 for the nuclear physics of the EOS and the r-process

The recent LIGO/Virgo detection of gravitational radiation from GW170817 bears the clear signature of a binary neutron star merger and has validated a number of theoretical predictions. High-energy radiation in the form of a short gamma-ray burst was observed 1.7 s following the merger, and an extended optical/infrared afterglow lasting weeks was observed by dozens of observatories. Short gamma-ray bursts had been thought to be produced by mergers, and the afterglow is the predicted signal of radioactive decays from decompressing neutron-rich matter catastrophically ejected from the merging stars. The afterglow provided solid evidence that neutron star mergers are a major, if not primary, source of r-process nuclei, that half of all nuclei heavier than iron formed from the rapid capture of neutrons. Although this idea was proposed nearly 45 years ago, it was largely ignored in favor of a supernova mechanism. Over the last decade, however, evidence has been accumulating that supernovae are not the primary r-process source. GW170817 may have finally settled this question, which has been one of the thorniest problems in nuclear physics and astrophysics. This article presents my personal perspective of this paradigm shift.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

The nucleardatapy toolkit for simple access to experimental nuclear data, astrophysical observations, and theoretical predictions

Systematic comparisons across theoretical predictions for the properties of dense matter, nuclear physics data, and astrophysical observations (also called meta-analyses) are performed. Existing predictions for symmetric nuclear and neutron matter properties are considered, and they are shown in this paper as an illustration of the present knowledge. Asymmetric matter is constructed assuming the isospin asymmetry quadratic approximation. It is employed to predict the pressure at twice saturation energy-density based only on nuclear-physics constraints, and we find it compatible with the one from the gravitational-wave community. To make our meta-analysis transparent, updated in the future, and to publicly share our results, the Python toolkit nucleardatapy is described and released here. Hence, this paper accompanies nucleardatapy, which simplifies access to nuclear-physics data, including theoretical calculations, experimental measurements, and astrophysical observations. This Python toolkit is designed to easily provide data for: (i) predictions for uniform matter (from microscopic or phenomenological approaches); (ii) correlation among nuclear properties induced by experimental and theoretical constraints; (iii) measurements for finite nuclei (nuclear chart, charge radii, neutron skins or nuclear incompressibilities, etc.) and hypernuclei (single particle energies); and (iv) astrophysical observations. This toolkit provides data in a unified format for easy comparison and provides new meta-analysis tools. It will be continuously developed, and we expect contributions from the community in our endeavor.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2019

The Afterglow and Kilonova of the Short GRB 160821B

GRB 160821B is a short duration gamma-ray burst (GRB) detected and localized by the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory in the outskirts of a spiral galaxy at z = 0.1613, at a projected physical offset of 16 kpc from the galaxy’s center. We present X-ray, optical/nIR, and radio observations of its counterpart and model them with two distinct components of emission: a standard afterglow, arising from the interaction of the relativistic jet with the surrounding medium, and a kilonova, powered by the radioactive decay of the sub-relativistic ejecta. Broadband modelling of the afterglow data reveals a weak reverse shock propagating backward into the jet, and a likely jet-break at 3.5 d. This is consistent with a structured jet seen slightly off-axis (θview ∼ θcore) while expanding into a low-density medium (n ≈ 10−3 cm−3). Analysis of the kilonova properties suggests a rapid evolution towards red colours, similar toAT2017gfo, and a low-nIR luminosity, possibly due to the presence of a long-lived neutron star. The global properties of the environment, the inferred low mass (Mej <~ 0.006 Msun) and velocities (vej >~ 0.05c) of lanthanide-rich ejecta are consistent with a binary neutron star merger progenitor.

Gravitational waves↗