Multimessenger astronomy with a kHz-band gravitational-wave observatory

TL;DR

A single kilohertz gravitational-wave detector like NEMO can achieve substantial multimessenger detection of neutron star mergers by combining gravitational-wave data with electromagnetic observations, even without a global network.

Contribution

This study demonstrates the significant standalone utility of NEMO-like detectors for multimessenger astronomy, providing detailed detection rate estimates with electromagnetic counterparts.

Findings

Approximately 40% of binary neutron star mergers could be confidently identified as multimessenger events.

Expected annual coincident detections include 2+10 with gamma-ray bursts, 13+23 with kilonovae, and 4+18 with afterglows.

Overall, about 14+25-11 multimessenger detections per year are possible within 300 Mpc.

Abstract

Proposed next-generation networks of gravitational-wave observatories include dedicated kilohertz instruments that target neutron star science, such as the proposed Neutron Star Extreme Matter Observatory, NEMO. The original proposal for NEMO highlighted the need for it to exist in a network of gravitational-wave observatories to ensure detection confidence and sky localisation of sources. We show that NEMO-like observatories have significant utility on their own as coincident electromagnetic observations can provide the detection significance and sky localisation. We show that, with a single NEMO-like detector and expected electromagnetic observatories in the late 2020s and early 2030s such as the Vera C. Rubin observatory and SVOM, approximately $40\%$ of all binary neutron star mergers detected with gravitational waves could be confidently identified as coincident multimessenger detections. We show that we expect $2^{+10}_{-1}\rm{yr}^{-1}$ coincident observations of gravitational-wave mergers with gamma-ray burst prompt emission, $13^{+23}_{-10}\rm{yr}^{-1}$ detections with kilonova observations, and $4^{+18}_{-3}\rm{yr}^{-1}$ with broadband afterglows and kilonovae, where the uncertainties are $90\%$ confidence intervals arising from uncertainty in current merger-rate estimates. Combined, this implies a coincident detection rate of $14^{+25}_{-11}\rm{yr}^{-1}$ out to $300\rm{Mpc}$. These numbers indicate significant science potential for a single kilohertz gravitational-wave detector operating without a global network of other gravitational-wave observatories.