Shock acceleration of electrons and synchrotron emission from the dynamical ejecta of neutron star mergers

TL;DR

This paper predicts radio and X-ray emissions from neutron star merger ejecta due to shock-accelerated electrons, highlighting their potential to probe r-process element creation despite detection challenges.

Contribution

It introduces a model for non-thermal emission from NSM ejecta considering non-linear DSA and magnetic amplification, emphasizing the role of r-process decay electrons as seed particles.

Findings

Peak emission occurs 100-1000 days post-merger.

Emission flux is limited by kinetic energy dissipation.

Off-axis observers are more likely to detect the signal.

Abstract

Neutron star mergers (NSMs) eject energetic sub-relativistic dynamical ejecta into the circumbinary media. As analogous to supernovae and supernova remnants, the NSM dynamical ejecta are expected to produce non-thermal emission by electrons accelerated at a shock wave. In this paper, we present expected radio and X-ray signals by this mechanism, taking into account non-linear diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) and magnetic field amplification. We suggest that the NSM has a unique nature as a DSA site, where the seed relativistic electrons are abundantly provided by the decays of r-process elements. The signal is predicted to peak at a few 100 - 1,000 days after the merger, determined by the balance between the decrease of the number of seed electrons and the increase of the dissipated kinetic energy due to the shock expansion. While the resulting flux can ideally reach to the maximum flux expected from near-equipartition, the available kinetic energy dissipation rate of the NSM ejecta limits the detectability of such a signal. It is likely that the radio and X-ray emission are overwhelmed by other mechanisms (e.g., an off-axis jet) for an observer placed to a jet direction (i.e., for GW170817). On the other hand, for an off-axis observer, to be discovered once a number of NSMs are identified, the dynamical ejecta component is predicted to dominate the non-thermal emission. While the detection of this signal is challenging even with near-future facilities, this potentially provides a robust probe of the creation of r-process elements in NSMs.