Gravitational Radiation from Accelerating Jets

TL;DR

This paper analyzes gravitational wave signals produced by relativistic jets in gamma-ray bursts and supernovae, highlighting their characteristics, detectability prospects, and implications for understanding jet acceleration mechanisms.

Contribution

It characterizes the gravitational wave memory signals from accelerating relativistic jets and assesses their detectability with planned future detectors.

Findings

Signals are below current detector sensitivity but within planned BBO and DECIGO ranges.

Detection of such signals could reveal jet acceleration mechanisms.

Current detectors are marginally capable of detecting signals from some hidden jets.

Abstract

Non-spherical rapid acceleration of mass (or energy) to a relativistic velocity is a natural source of gravitational radiation. Such conditions arise in both long and short gamma-ray bursts whose central engine ejects relativistic jets. The resulting gravitational wave signal is of a memory type, rising to a finite level (of order 4 G E/r) over a duration that corresponds to the longer of either the injection time and the acceleration time of the jet. We explore the properties of such signals and their potential detectability. Unfortunately, the expected signals are below the frequency band of Advanced LIGO-Virgo-Kagra, and above LISA. However, they fall within the range of the planned BBO and DECIGO. While current sensitivity is marginal for the detection of jet gravitational wave signals from GRBs, hidden relativistic jets that exist within some core collapse SNe could be detected. Such a detection would reveal the acceleration mechanism and the activity of the central engine, which cannot be explored directly in any other way