A Supramassive Magnetar Central Engine for GRB 130603B

Nov 27, 2013
4 pages
Published in:
  • Astrophys.J.Lett. 779 (2013) L25
  • Published: Dec 4, 2013
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Abstract: (IOP)
We show that the peculiar early optical emission and, in particular, the X-ray afterglow emission of the short-duration burst GRB 130603B can be explained by continuous energy injection into the blastwave from a supramassive magnetar central engine. The observed energetics and temporal/spectral properties of the late infrared bump (i.e., the "kilonova") are also found to be consistent with emission from the ejecta launched during a neutron star (NS)-NS merger and powered by a magnetar central engine. The isotropic-equivalent kinetic energies of both the gamma-ray burst (GRB) blastwave and the kilonova are approximately Ek~ 1051 erg, consistent with being powered by a near-isotropic magnetar wind. However, this relatively small value requires that most of the initial rotational energy of the magnetar (~a few × 1052 erg) is carried away by gravitational wave radiation. Our results suggest that (1) the progenitor of GRB 130603B was a NS-NS binary system, the merger product of which would have been a supramassive NS that lasted for about ~1000 s; (2) the equation of state of the nuclear matter should be stiff enough to allow the survival of a long-lived supramassive NS; thus this suggested that the detection of the bright electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational wave triggers without short GRB associations is promising in the upcoming Advanced LIGO/VIRGO era.
Note:
  • Five pages including 1 Figure, to appear in ApJL
  • radiation mechanisms: non-thermal
  • gamma rays: general
  • energy: injection
  • energy: rotation
  • energy: kinetic
  • nuclear matter: equation of state
  • magnetar
  • gravitational radiation
  • gravitational radiation: emission
  • gravitational radiation detector