Pulsars, transients and relativistic astrophysics

Abstract:

Previous work detected transient ultraviolet outflow features for the short-period (P min), low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB) UW CrB, suggesting the presence of a disc wind in the system. However, because of the transient nature of the outflow features, and the limited amount of data available, the features were challenging to interpret. To follow up on this work, we present a comprehensive multiwavelength campaign on UW CrB. We observe complex phenomenology and find several features that could be naturally interpreted as being associated with a persistent disc wind. Moreover, we identify a blue-shifted absorption in the H line during one of the epochs, which might be the signature of such an outflow. We present an X-ray to radio campaign of the source, discuss our results in the context of accretion disc wind outflows, present a ‘toy model’ interpretation of the outflow scattering the X-ray emission into our line of sight, and explore the implications for binary evolution models. If correct, our preferred scenario of a persistent disc wind suggests that mass transfer for LMXBs can be non-conservative down to short orbital periods, and thereby opens an important parameter space for angular momentum loss in compact binaries.

Abstract:

ABSTRACT Accretion on to neutron stars (NSs) in X-ray pulsars (XRPs) results in intense X-ray emission, and under specific conditions, high-energy nuclear interactions that produce gamma-ray photons at discrete energies. These interactions are enabled by the high free-fall velocities of accreting nuclei near the NS surface and give rise to characteristic gamma-ray lines, notably at 2.2, 5.5, and 67.5 MeV. We investigate the production mechanisms of these lines and estimate the resulting gamma-ray luminosities, accounting for the suppression effects of radiative deceleration in bright XRPs and the creation of electron–positron pairs in strong magnetic fields. The resulting annihilation of these pairs leads to a secondary emission line at ${\sim} 511$ keV. We also discuss the possibility that non-stationary pair creation in the polar cap region could drive coherent radio emission, though its detectability in accreting systems remains uncertain. Using a numerical framework incorporating general relativistic light bending and magnetic absorption, we compute the escape fraction of photons and distinguish between actual and apparent gamma-ray luminosities. Our results identify the parameter space – defined by magnetic field strength, accretion luminosity, and NS compactness – where these gamma-ray signatures may be observable by upcoming MeV gamma-ray missions. In particular, we highlight the diagnostic potential of detecting gravitationally redshifted gamma-ray lines and annihilation features for probing the mass–radius relation and magnetospheric structure of NSs.

Abstract:

Neutron star-black hole (NSBH) mergers, detectable via their gravitational-wave (GW) emission, are expected to produce kilonovae (KNe). Four NSBH candidates have been identified and followed-up by more than fifty instruments since the start of the fourth GW observing run (O4), in May 2023, up to July 2024; however, no confirmed associated KN has been detected. This study evaluates ejecta properties from multimessenger observations to understand the absence of detectable KN: we use GW public information and joint observations taken from 05.2023 to 07.2024 (LVK, ATLAS, DECam, GECKO, GOTO, GRANDMA, SAGUARO, TESS, WINTER, ZTF). First, our analysis on follow-up observation strategies shows that, on average, more than 50% of the simulated KNe associated with NSBH mergers reach their peak luminosity around one day after merger in the g, r, i- bands, which is not necessarily covered for each NSBH GW candidate. We also analyze the trade-off between observation efficiency and the intrinsic properties of the KN emission, to understand the impact on how these constraints affect our ability to detect the KN, and underlying ejecta properties for each GW candidate. In particular, we can only confirm the kilonova was not missed for 1% of the GW230529 and S230627c sky localization region, given the large sky localization error of GW230529 and the large distance for S230627c and, their respective KN faint luminosities. More constraining, for S230518h, we infer the dynamical ejecta and postmerger disk wind ejecta mdyn,mwind<0.03M⊙ and the viewing angle θ>25°. Similarly, the nonastrophysical origin of S240422ed is likely further confirmed by the fact that we would have detected even a faint KN at the time and presumed distance of the S240422ed event candidate, within a minimum 45% credible region of the sky area, that can be larger depending on the KN scenario.