Linking Analytic Light Curve Models to Physical Properties of Kilonovae

TL;DR

This study uses realistic simulations to evaluate how analytic light curve models interpret kilonova ejecta properties, revealing potential misinterpretations and emphasizing the importance of multi-epoch infrared observations for accurate mass estimates.

Contribution

It demonstrates that analytic models may misrepresent the true ejecta configuration and highlights the role of post-merger ejecta in both red and blue emissions.

Findings

Analytic models often infer incorrect ejecta parameters compared to simulations.

Post-merger ejecta significantly contributes to both red and blue kilonova emissions.

Total ejecta mass estimates are robust within a factor of a few.

Abstract

In binary neutron star mergers, lanthanide-rich dynamical ejecta and lanthanide-poor post-merger ejecta have been often linked to the red and blue kilonova emission, respectively. However, analytic light curve modeling of kilonova often results in the ejecta parameters that are at odds with such expectations. To investigate the physical meaning of the derived parameters, we perform analytic modeling of the kilonova light curves calculated with realistic multi-dimensional radiative transfer based on the numerical relativity simulations. Our fiducial simulations adopt a faster-moving, less massive dynamical ejecta and slower-moving, more massive post-merger ejecta. The results of analytic modeling, however, show that the inferred ''red'' component is more massive and slower, while the ''blue'' component is less massive and faster, as also inferred for GW170817/AT2017gfo. This suggests that the parameters derived from light curve modeling with an analytic model do not represent the true configuration of the kilonova ejecta. We demonstrate that the post-merger ejecta contributes to both blue and red emissions: the emission from the post-merger ejecta is absorbed and reprocessed to red emission by the dynamical ejecta with a higher lanthanide fraction. Our results caution against separately discussing the origins of red and blue components derived from the analytic models. Despite of the challenges in the parameter estimation, we show that the estimate of the total ejecta mass is rather robust within a factor of a few, reflecting the total luminosity output. To derive the reliable total ejecta mass, multi-epoch observations in near-infrared wavelengths near their light curve peaks are important.