An observational upper limit on the rate of gamma-ray bursts with neutron star-black hole merger progenitors

TL;DR

This paper uses gravitational-wave data to set an upper limit on the rate of gamma-ray bursts originating from neutron star-black hole mergers, suggesting such events are relatively rare.

Contribution

It provides the first observational upper limit on gamma-ray burst rates from NSBH mergers based on gravitational-wave population constraints.

Findings

Maximum rate of 20 Gpc^-3 yr^-1 for NSBH-origin gamma-ray bursts

NSBH mergers are unlikely to account for most gamma-ray bursts

Gravitational-wave data constrains progenitor models for gamma-ray bursts

Abstract

Compact-object binary mergers consisting of one neutron star and one black hole (NSBHs) have long been considered promising progenitors for gamma-ray bursts, whose central engine remains poorly understood. Using gravitational-wave constraints on the population-level NSBH mass and spin distributions we find that at most $20~\mathrm{Gpc}^{-3}\mathrm{yr}^{-1}$ of gamma-ray bursts in the local universe can have NSBH progenitors.