Mechanisms for high spin in black-hole neutron-star binaries and kilonova emission: inheritance and accretion

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the origin of high black hole spin in black-hole neutron-star binaries influences kilonova brightness and ejecta mass, with implications for understanding binary formation pathways and future observations.

Contribution

It identifies mechanisms that produce high black hole spins in binaries and links these to kilonova observability, providing new insights into binary formation and merger signatures.

Findings

High black hole spins lead to significant neutron star ejecta.

Future telescopes can detect kilonovae with low black hole spins (~0.2).

Predicted kilonova brightness can reach M_i ~ -14.5 for high spins (~0.9).

Abstract

A black-hole neutron-star binary merger can lead to an electromagnetic counterpart called a kilonova if the neutron star is disrupted prior to merger. The observability of a kilonova depends on the amount of neutron star ejecta, which is sensitive to the aligned component of the black hole spin. We explore the dependence of the ejected mass on two main mechanisms that provide high black hole spin in isolated stellar binaries. When the black hole inherits a high spin from a Wolf-Rayet star that was born with least $\sim$ 10% of its breakup spin under weak stellar core-envelope coupling, relevant for all formation pathways, the median of the ejected mass is $\gtrsim$ $10^{-2}$ M$_{\odot}$. Though only possible for certain formation pathways, similar ejected mass results when the black hole accretes $\gtrsim$ 20% of its companion's envelope to gain a high spin. Together, these signatures suggest that a population analysis of black-hole neutron-star binary mergers with observed kilonovae may help distinguish between mechanisms for spin and possible formation pathways. We show that these kilonovae will be difficult to detect with current capabilities, but that future facilities, such as the Vera Rubin Observatory, can do so even if the aligned dimensionless spin of the black hole is as low as $\sim$ 0.2. Our model predicts kilonovae as bright as $M_i$ $\sim$ -14.5 for an aligned black hole spin of $\sim$ 0.9 and mass ratio Q = 3.6.