Fast response electromagnetic follow-ups from low latency GW triggers

TL;DR

This paper explores rapid gravitational wave detection and electromagnetic follow-up strategies for binary neutron star mergers, aiming to capture prompt emissions and early signals across the electromagnetic spectrum.

Contribution

It evaluates the performance of ultra-low latency GW detection pipelines and their potential for enabling early electromagnetic follow-up observations.

Findings

Low-latency pipelines can improve localization for prompt EM follow-up.

Simulations suggest feasible detection of early EM signals from BNS mergers.

Breakthrough multi-messenger observations are possible with current and future pipelines.

Abstract

We investigate joint low-latency gravitational wave (GW) detection and prompt electromagnetic (EM) follow-up observations of coalescing binary neutron stars (BNSs). Assuming that BNS mergers are associated with short duration gamma ray bursts (SGRBs), we evaluate if rapid EM follow-ups can capture the prompt emission, early engine activity or reveal any potential by-products such as magnetars or fast radio bursts. To examine the expected performance of extreme low-latency search pipelines, we simulate a population of coalescing BNSs and use these to estimate the detectability and localisation efficiency at different times before merger. Using observational SGRB flux data corrected to the range of the advanced GW interferometric detectors, we determine what EM observations could be achieved from low-frequency radio up to high energy $\gamma$-ray. We show that while challenging, breakthrough multi-messenger science is possible through low latency pipelines.