An Archival Search for Very-High-Energy Counterparts to Sub-Threshold Neutron-Star Merger Candidates

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential of using archival very-high-energy gamma-ray data from VERITAS to find counterparts to sub-threshold neutron-star merger candidates identified by gravitational wave detectors, aiming to enhance multimessenger astrophysics.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method of combining sub-threshold gravitational wave candidates with archival gamma-ray observations to improve detection prospects.

Findings

No significant gamma-ray counterparts found in archival data.

Demonstrates the feasibility of joint sub-threshold searches for multimessenger signals.

Highlights the potential for future discoveries with combined data analysis.

Abstract

The recent discovery of electromagnetic signals in coincidence with gravitational waves from neutron-star mergers has solidified the importance of multimessenger campaigns for studying the most energetic astrophysical events. Pioneering multimessenger observatories, such as the LIGO/Virgo gravitational wave detectors and the IceCube neutrino observatory, record many candidate signals that fall short of the detection significance threshold. These sub-threshold event candidates are promising targets for multimessenger studies, as the information provided by these candidates may, when combined with time-coincident gamma-ray observations, lead to significant detections. In this contribution, I describe our use of sub-threshold binary neutron star merger candidates identified in Advanced LIGO's first observing run (O1) to search for transient events in very-high-energy gamma rays using archival observations from the VERITAS imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope array. I describe the promise of this technique for future joint sub-threshold searches.