Effects of Fall-Back Accretion on Proto-Magnetar Outflows in Gamma-Ray Bursts and Superluminous Supernovae

TL;DR

This paper investigates how fall-back accretion influences proto-magnetar outflows, affecting gamma-ray burst and superluminous supernova phenomena by modifying jet power, magnetization, and baryon-loading, thus explaining diverse observational features.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive model of accreting proto-magnetars, highlighting how fallback accretion alters their evolution and observable signatures, expanding the parameter space for GRB and SLSNe progenitors.

Findings

Accretion enhances jet power and magnetization variability.

Fallback accretion can explain ultra-long GRBs and irregular light curves.

The model broadens the range of magnetar properties capable of powering energetic transients.

Abstract

Rapidly spinning, strongly magnetized proto-neutron stars ("millisecond proto-magnetars") are candidate central engines of long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRB), superluminous supernovae (SLSNe), and binary neutron star mergers. Magnetar birth may be accompanied by the fall-back of stellar debris, lasting for seconds or longer following the explosion. Accretion alters the magnetar evolution by (1) providing an additional source of rotational energy (or a potential sink, if the propeller mechanism operates); (2) enhancing the spin-down luminosity above the dipole rate by compressing the magnetosphere and expanding the polar cap region of open magnetic field lines; (3) supplying an additional accretion-powered neutrino luminosity that sustains the wind baryon-loading, even after the magnetar's internal neutrino luminosity has subsided. The more complex evolution of the jet power and magnetization of an accreting magnetar more readily accounts for the high 56Ni yields GRB SNe and irregular time evolution of some GRB light curves (e.g.~bursts with precursors followed by a long quiescent interval before the main emission episode). Additional baryon-loading from accretion-powered neutrino irradiation of the magnetar polar cap lengthens the timeframe over which the jet magnetization is in the requisite range sigma ~< 1e3 for efficient gamma-ray emission, thereby accommodating GRBs with ultra-long durations. Though accretion does not significantly raise the maximum energy budget from the limit of <~ few 1e52 ergs for an isolated magnetar, it greatly expands the range of magnetic field strengths and birth spin periods capable of powering GRB jets, reducing the differences between the magnetar properties normally invoked to explain GRBs versus SLSNe.