LOFAR early-time search for coherent radio emission from short GRB 181123B
The mergers of two neutron stars are typically accompanied by broad-band electromagnetic emission from either a relativistic jet or a kilonova. It has also been long predicted that coherent radio emission will occur during the merger phase or from a newly formed neutron star remnant; however, this e...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
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OXFORD UNIV PRESS
2021
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| Online Access: | http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DE180100346 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90310 |
| _version_ | 1848765367106666496 |
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| author | Rowlinson, A. Starling, R.L.C. Gourdji, K. Anderson, Gemma Ter Veen, S. Mandhai, S. Wijers, R.A.M.J. Shimwell, T.W. Van Der Horst, A.J. |
| author_facet | Rowlinson, A. Starling, R.L.C. Gourdji, K. Anderson, Gemma Ter Veen, S. Mandhai, S. Wijers, R.A.M.J. Shimwell, T.W. Van Der Horst, A.J. |
| author_sort | Rowlinson, A. |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | The mergers of two neutron stars are typically accompanied by broad-band electromagnetic emission from either a relativistic jet or a kilonova. It has also been long predicted that coherent radio emission will occur during the merger phase or from a newly formed neutron star remnant; however, this emission has not been seen to date. This paper presents the deepest limits for this emission from a neutron star merger, following triggered LOFAR observations of the short gamma-ray burst 181123B, starting 4.4 min after the GRB occurred. During the X-ray plateau phase, a signature of ongoing energy injection, we detect no radio emission to a 3σ limit of 153 mJy at 144 MHz (image integration time of 136 s), which is significantly fainter than the predicted emission from a standard neutron star. At a redshift of 1.8, this corresponds to a luminosity of 2.5 × 1044 erg s-1. Snapshot images were made of the radio observation on a range of time-scales, targeting short-duration radio flashes similar to fast radio bursts. No emission was detected in the snapshot images at the location of GRB 181123B enabling constraints to be placed on the prompt coherent radio emission model and emission predicted to occur when a neutron star collapses to form a black hole. At the putative host redshift of 1.8 for GRB 181123B, the non-detection of the prompt radio emission is two orders of magnitude lower than expected for magnetic reconnection models for prompt GRB emission and no magnetar emission is expected. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:34:07Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-90310 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:34:07Z |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publisher | OXFORD UNIV PRESS |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-903102023-02-28T02:21:04Z LOFAR early-time search for coherent radio emission from short GRB 181123B Rowlinson, A. Starling, R.L.C. Gourdji, K. Anderson, Gemma Ter Veen, S. Mandhai, S. Wijers, R.A.M.J. Shimwell, T.W. Van Der Horst, A.J. Science & Technology Physical Sciences Astronomy & Astrophysics gamma-ray burst: individual: GRB 181123B radio continuum: transients GAMMA-RAY BURSTS MAGNETAR CENTRAL ENGINES NEUTRON-STAR CONSTRAINTS AFTERGLOW REMNANTS PULSES The mergers of two neutron stars are typically accompanied by broad-band electromagnetic emission from either a relativistic jet or a kilonova. It has also been long predicted that coherent radio emission will occur during the merger phase or from a newly formed neutron star remnant; however, this emission has not been seen to date. This paper presents the deepest limits for this emission from a neutron star merger, following triggered LOFAR observations of the short gamma-ray burst 181123B, starting 4.4 min after the GRB occurred. During the X-ray plateau phase, a signature of ongoing energy injection, we detect no radio emission to a 3σ limit of 153 mJy at 144 MHz (image integration time of 136 s), which is significantly fainter than the predicted emission from a standard neutron star. At a redshift of 1.8, this corresponds to a luminosity of 2.5 × 1044 erg s-1. Snapshot images were made of the radio observation on a range of time-scales, targeting short-duration radio flashes similar to fast radio bursts. No emission was detected in the snapshot images at the location of GRB 181123B enabling constraints to be placed on the prompt coherent radio emission model and emission predicted to occur when a neutron star collapses to form a black hole. At the putative host redshift of 1.8 for GRB 181123B, the non-detection of the prompt radio emission is two orders of magnitude lower than expected for magnetic reconnection models for prompt GRB emission and no magnetar emission is expected. 2021 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90310 10.1093/mnras/stab2060 English http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DE180100346 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ OXFORD UNIV PRESS fulltext |
| spellingShingle | Science & Technology Physical Sciences Astronomy & Astrophysics gamma-ray burst: individual: GRB 181123B radio continuum: transients GAMMA-RAY BURSTS MAGNETAR CENTRAL ENGINES NEUTRON-STAR CONSTRAINTS AFTERGLOW REMNANTS PULSES Rowlinson, A. Starling, R.L.C. Gourdji, K. Anderson, Gemma Ter Veen, S. Mandhai, S. Wijers, R.A.M.J. Shimwell, T.W. Van Der Horst, A.J. LOFAR early-time search for coherent radio emission from short GRB 181123B |
| title | LOFAR early-time search for coherent radio emission from short GRB 181123B |
| title_full | LOFAR early-time search for coherent radio emission from short GRB 181123B |
| title_fullStr | LOFAR early-time search for coherent radio emission from short GRB 181123B |
| title_full_unstemmed | LOFAR early-time search for coherent radio emission from short GRB 181123B |
| title_short | LOFAR early-time search for coherent radio emission from short GRB 181123B |
| title_sort | lofar early-time search for coherent radio emission from short grb 181123b |
| topic | Science & Technology Physical Sciences Astronomy & Astrophysics gamma-ray burst: individual: GRB 181123B radio continuum: transients GAMMA-RAY BURSTS MAGNETAR CENTRAL ENGINES NEUTRON-STAR CONSTRAINTS AFTERGLOW REMNANTS PULSES |
| url | http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DE180100346 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90310 |