Gamma-Ray Bursts and Kilonovae from the Accretion-induced Collapse of White Dwarfs
We present the first seconds-long 2D general relativistic neutrino magnetohydrodynamic simulations of accretion-induced collapse (AIC) in rapidly rotating, strongly magnetized white dwarfs (WDs), which might originate as remnants of double-WD mergers. This study examines extreme combinations of magn...
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2025-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ada1cc |
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| author | Patrick Chi-Kit Cheong Tetyana Pitik Luís Felipe Longo Micchi David Radice |
| author_facet | Patrick Chi-Kit Cheong Tetyana Pitik Luís Felipe Longo Micchi David Radice |
| author_sort | Patrick Chi-Kit Cheong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We present the first seconds-long 2D general relativistic neutrino magnetohydrodynamic simulations of accretion-induced collapse (AIC) in rapidly rotating, strongly magnetized white dwarfs (WDs), which might originate as remnants of double-WD mergers. This study examines extreme combinations of magnetic fields and rotation rates, motivated both by the need to address the limitations of 2D axisymmetric simulations and to explore the physics of AIC under rare conditions that, while yet to be observationally confirmed, may be consistent with current theoretical models and account for unusual events. Under these assumptions, our results demonstrate that, if realizable, such systems can generate relativistic jets and neutron-rich outflows with properties consistent with long gamma-ray bursts (LGRBs) accompanied by kilonovae, such as GRB 211211A and GRB 230307A. These findings highlight the potential role of AIC in heavy r -process element production and offer a framework for understanding rare LGRBs associated with kilonova emission. Longer-duration 3D simulations are needed to fully capture magnetic field amplification, resolve instabilities, and determine the fate of the energy retained by the magnetar at the end of the simulations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-881287cdcf3d4cc78ab65e1b53f83d77 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-8205 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-881287cdcf3d4cc78ab65e1b53f83d772025-01-09T14:07:27ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal Letters2041-82052025-01-019782L3810.3847/2041-8213/ada1ccGamma-Ray Bursts and Kilonovae from the Accretion-induced Collapse of White DwarfsPatrick Chi-Kit Cheong0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1449-3363Tetyana Pitik1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9109-2451Luís Felipe Longo Micchi2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7500-7384David Radice3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6982-1008Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of New Hampshire , 9 Library Way, Durham, NH 03824, USA ; patrick.cheong@berkeley.edu; Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory , Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA; Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA ; tetyana.pitik@berkeley.eduDepartment of Physics, University of California, Berkeley , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA ; tetyana.pitik@berkeley.edu; Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA 16802, USATheoretisch-Physikalisches Institut , Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, 07743, Jena, Germany ; luis.felipe.longo.micchi@uni-jena.deInstitute for Gravitation and the Cosmos, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA 16802, USA; Department of Physics, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA 16802, USA; Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA 16802, USAWe present the first seconds-long 2D general relativistic neutrino magnetohydrodynamic simulations of accretion-induced collapse (AIC) in rapidly rotating, strongly magnetized white dwarfs (WDs), which might originate as remnants of double-WD mergers. This study examines extreme combinations of magnetic fields and rotation rates, motivated both by the need to address the limitations of 2D axisymmetric simulations and to explore the physics of AIC under rare conditions that, while yet to be observationally confirmed, may be consistent with current theoretical models and account for unusual events. Under these assumptions, our results demonstrate that, if realizable, such systems can generate relativistic jets and neutron-rich outflows with properties consistent with long gamma-ray bursts (LGRBs) accompanied by kilonovae, such as GRB 211211A and GRB 230307A. These findings highlight the potential role of AIC in heavy r -process element production and offer a framework for understanding rare LGRBs associated with kilonova emission. Longer-duration 3D simulations are needed to fully capture magnetic field amplification, resolve instabilities, and determine the fate of the energy retained by the magnetar at the end of the simulations.https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ada1ccGamma-ray burstsR-processWhite dwarf starsNeutron starsMagnetarsLight curves |
| spellingShingle | Patrick Chi-Kit Cheong Tetyana Pitik Luís Felipe Longo Micchi David Radice Gamma-Ray Bursts and Kilonovae from the Accretion-induced Collapse of White Dwarfs The Astrophysical Journal Letters Gamma-ray bursts R-process White dwarf stars Neutron stars Magnetars Light curves |
| title | Gamma-Ray Bursts and Kilonovae from the Accretion-induced Collapse of White Dwarfs |
| title_full | Gamma-Ray Bursts and Kilonovae from the Accretion-induced Collapse of White Dwarfs |
| title_fullStr | Gamma-Ray Bursts and Kilonovae from the Accretion-induced Collapse of White Dwarfs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gamma-Ray Bursts and Kilonovae from the Accretion-induced Collapse of White Dwarfs |
| title_short | Gamma-Ray Bursts and Kilonovae from the Accretion-induced Collapse of White Dwarfs |
| title_sort | gamma ray bursts and kilonovae from the accretion induced collapse of white dwarfs |
| topic | Gamma-ray bursts R-process White dwarf stars Neutron stars Magnetars Light curves |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ada1cc |
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