Short Gamma Ray Bursts as possible electromagnetic counterpart of coalescing binary systems

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential of short Gamma Ray Bursts as electromagnetic signals that can be associated with coalescing binary systems, aiding in the detection and understanding of gravitational wave sources.

Contribution

It proposes that short Gamma Ray Bursts could serve as electromagnetic counterparts to neutron star or black hole mergers, enhancing multi-messenger astronomy.

Findings

Short Gamma Ray Bursts may be linked to binary mergers.

They can help infer the merger rate of compact binaries.

Potential for joint gravitational wave and electromagnetic observations.

Abstract

Coalescing binary systems, consisting of two collapsed objects, are among the most promising sources of high frequency gravitational waves signals detectable, in principle, by ground-based interferometers. Binary systems of Neutron Star or Black Hole/Neutron Star mergers should also give rise to short Gamma Ray Bursts, a subclass of Gamma Ray Bursts. Short-hard-Gamma Ray Bursts might thus provide a powerful way to infer the merger rate of two-collapsed object binaries. Under the hypothesis that most short Gamma Ray Bursts originate from binaries of Neutron Star or Black Hole/Neutron Star mergers, we outline here the possibility to associate short Gamma Ray Bursts as electromagnetic counterpart of coalescing binary systems.