Searching for gravitational waves from compact binary mergers powering long gamma-ray bursts during LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA's O3 run

TL;DR

This study searches for gravitational waves from neutron star mergers associated with long gamma-ray bursts during the LVK O3 run, finding no evidence but setting distance limits.

Contribution

First dedicated search for binary neutron star and black hole mergers coincident with long GRBs during LVK O3, expanding the scope beyond short GRBs.

Findings

No coincident gravitational-wave signals detected.

Limits set on luminosity distances for each long GRB.

Analysis enhances understanding of long GRB progenitors.

Abstract

Neutron star binary mergers are often associated with short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), but the recent detection of kilonovae coincident with long GRBs suggest that some mergers may produce long GRBs. Motivated by these developments, we perform a search for binary neutron star and neutron star-black hole gravitational-wave signals coincident with long GRBs using data from the third LIGO--Virgo--KAGRA (LVK) observing run. We analyze LVK data coincident with long GRBs detected by Fermi's GRB Monitor and Swift's Burst Alert Telescope when at least two gravitational-wave observatories were running. We find no evidence of a coincident gravitational-wave signal and set limits on the luminosity distance to each of these long GRBs under the assumption that they were powered by binary mergers.