On the impact of neutrinos on the launching of relativistic jets from "magnetars" produced in neutron-star mergers

TL;DR

This study uses advanced simulations to explore how neutrinos influence the formation of magnetic outflows from neutron-star merger remnants, revealing a robust magnetic breakout mechanism that is less dependent on neutrino effects than previously thought.

Contribution

It demonstrates that magnetic-field breakout occurs even without neutrinos and shows that neutrinos can reduce baryon pollution, affecting electromagnetic luminosity in neutron-star merger scenarios.

Findings

Magnetic-field breakout occurs independently of neutrinos.

Neutrino absorption reduces baryon pollution, increasing electromagnetic luminosity.

Outflows are mildly relativistic and unlikely to produce short gamma-ray burst jets.

Abstract

A significant interest has emerged recently in assessing whether collimated and ultra-relativistic outflows can be produced by a long-lived remnant from a binary neutron-star (BNS) merger, with different approaches leading to different outcomes. To clarify some of the aspect of this process, we report the results of long-term (\ie $\sim~110\,{\rm ms}$) state-of-the-art general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamics simulations of the inspiral and merger of a BNS system of magnetized stars. We find that after $\sim~50\,{\rm ms}$ from the merger, an $\alpha$-$\Omega$~dynamo driven by the magnetorotational instability (MRI) sets-in in the densest regions of the disk and leads to the breakout of the magnetic-field lines from the accretion disk around the remnant. The breakout, which can be associated with the violation of the Parker-stability criterion, is responsible for the generation of a collimated, magnetically-driven outflow with only mildly relativistic velocities that is responsible for a violent eruption of electromagnetic energy. We provide evidence that this outflow is partly collimated via a Blandford-Payne mechanism driven by the open field lines anchored in the inner disk regions. Finally, by including or not the radiative transport via neutrinos, we determine the role they play in the launching of the collimated wind. In this way, we conclude that the mechanism of magnetic-field breakout we observe is robust and takes place even without neutrinos. Contrary to previous expectations, the inclusion of neutrinos absorption and emission leads to a smaller baryon pollution in polar regions, and hence accelerates the occurrence of the breakout, yielding a larger electromagnetic luminosity. Given the mildly relativistic nature of these disk-driven breakout outflows, it is difficult to consider them responsible for the jet phenomenology observed in short gamma-ray bursts.