| Speaker: | Prof. Tsvi Piran, RACAH INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS, HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM |
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| Title: | RADIO REMNANTS OF COMPACT BINARY MERGERS |
| Abstract: |
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The question "what is the observable electromagnetic (EM) signature
of a compact binary merger?" is an intriguing one with crucial
consequences to the quest for gravitational waves (GW). Compact
binaries (Neutron star - Neutron star, NS-NS, or Black Hole - Neutron
star, BH-NS) are the prime candidates sources for gravitational
radiation emission. A detection of an electromagnetic signal accompanying a low significance gravitational radiation signal would confirm the discovery, thereby increasing the GW detectors sensitivity. Even before the advanced version of these detectors become operational an electromagnetic detection would provide a reliable estimate of the (presently highly uncertain) rate of these events. This is of substantial importance for the design and the operational strategy of the advanced detectors. Building on the theory and observations of radio supenovae we show that matter ejected from a merger would produce a long lasting (typically a month) rather strong (a few mJy) radio remnant. Future al sky radio surveys could detect a few dozen such remnants in any give time. Detailed followup radio observations could easily reveal such a remnant up to the advanced LIGO-Virgo's detection horizon. |