Magnetars from Neutron Star–White Dwarf Mergers: Application to Fast Radio Bursts

Zhong, Shuangling; Dai, Z. G.

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ab7bdf

Cited by 29 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 116 publications

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“…A number of studies argue that WD-NS mergers could lead to spun-up NS remnants, possibly with ultra-strong magnetic fields (e.g., Paschalidis et al 2011;Margalit & Metzger 2016;Liu 2018;Khokhriakova & Popov 2019). In this case, Zhong & Dai (2020) pointed out that flaring magnetized NSs formed from NS-WD mergers may have burst energetics and host galaxy properties consistent with FRBs similar to FRB 180924 (Bannister et al 2019).…”

Section: White Dwarf-neutron Star Mergersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to the well-observed MSP population in GCs, four young pulsars (with estimated ages  100 Myr) are observed in Galactic GCs, suggesting that young NSs are formed at late times in GCs through some mechanism (e.g., Tauris et al 2013;Boyles et al 2011). Binary WD mergers (e.g., King et al 2001;Schwab et al 2016;Kremer et al 2021), accretion-induced collapse (AIC) of WDs in binaries (e.g., Nomoto & Kondo 1991;Tauris et al 2013), binary NS mergers (e.g., Rosswog et al 2003;Giacomazzo & Perna 2013), and/or NS-WD mergers (e.g., Liu 2018;Zhong & Dai 2020) may all lead to young NS formation in clusters. Thus, a number of scenarios may operate in GCs that could produce a progenitor of the M81 FRB.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dynamical Formation Channels for Fast Radio Bursts in Globular Clusters

Kremer

Piro

2021

ApJL

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The repeating fast radio burst (FRB) localized to a globular cluster (GC) in M81 challenges our understanding of FRB models. In this Letter, we explore dynamical formation scenarios for objects in old GCs that may plausibly power FRBs. Using N-body simulations, we demonstrate that young neutron stars (NSs) may form in GCs at a rate of up to ∼50 Gpc −3 yr −1 through a combination of binary white dwarf (WD) mergers, WD-NS mergers, binary NS mergers, and accretion-induced collapse of massive WDs in binary systems. We consider two FRB emission mechanisms: First, we show that a magnetically powered source (e.g., a magnetar with field strength 10 14 G) is viable for radio emission efficiencies 10 −4 . This would require magnetic activity lifetimes longer than the associated spin-down timescales and longer than empirically constrained lifetimes of Galactic magnetars. Alternatively, if these dynamical formation channels produce young rotation-powered NSs with spin periods of ∼10 ms and magnetic fields of ∼10 11 G (corresponding to spin-down lifetimes of 10 5 yr), the inferred event rate and energetics can be reasonably reproduced for order unity duty cycles. Additionally, we show that recycled millisecond pulsars or low-mass X-ray binaries similar to those well-observed in Galactic GCs may also be plausible channels, but only if their duty cycle for producing bursts similar to the M81 FRB is small.

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Section: White Dwarf-neutron Star Mergersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamical Formation Channels for Fast Radio Bursts in Globular Clusters

Kremer

Piro

2021

ApJL

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“…The first repeating source, FRB 121102 (Spitler et al 2016), has been bursting nearly continuously (albeit interrupted by extended "dark" periods) for over 7 yr; no known magnetar in our Galaxy matches this continuous level of activity. One is forced to the conclusion that at least the most active repeating FRB sources arise from magnetars that are somehow different from the Galactic population, e.g., being of very young age (Beloborodov 2017;Metzger et al 2017), formed via alternative channels than ordinary core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe; Metzger et al 2017;Margalit et al 2019;Zhong & Dai 2020), or possessing other atypical properties, such as an unusually long rotational period (Wadiasingh & Timokhin 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Implications of a Fast Radio Burst from a Galactic Magnetar

Margalit

Beniamini

Sridhar

et al. 2020

ApJL

151

123

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A luminous radio burst was recently detected in temporal coincidence with a hard X-ray flare from the Galactic magnetar SGR 1935+2154with a time and frequency structure consistent with cosmological fast radio bursts (FRBs) and a fluence within a factor of 10 of the least energetic extragalactic FRB previously detected. Although active magnetars are commonly invoked FRB sources, several distinct mechanisms have been proposed for generating the radio emission that make different predictions for the accompanying higher-frequency radiation. We show that the properties of the coincident radio and X-ray flares from SGR 1935+2154, including their approximate simultaneity and relative fluence~-E E 10 radio X 5 , as well as the duration and spectrum of the X-ray emission, are consistent with extant predictions for the synchrotron maser shock model. Rather than arising from the inner magnetosphere, the X-rays are generated by (incoherent) synchrotron radiation from thermal electrons heated at the same internal shocks that produce the coherent maser emission as ultrarelativistic flare ejecta collides with a slower particle outflow (e.g., as generated by earlier flaring activity) on a radial scale of~10 11 cm. Although the rate of SGR 1935+2154-like bursts in the local universe is not sufficient to contribute appreciably to the extragalactic FRB rate, the inclusion of an additional population of more active magnetars with stronger magnetic fields than the Galactic population can explain both the FRB rate and the repeating fraction, but only if the population of active magnetars are born at a rate that is at least 2 orders of magnitude lower than that of the SGR 1935+2154-like magnetars. This may imply that the more active magnetar sources are not younger magnetars formed in a similar way to the Milky Way population (e.g., via ordinary supernovae) but are instead formed through more exotic channels, such as superluminous supernovae, accretion-induced collapse, or neutron star mergers.

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“…Such behavior could be explained by invoking a younger and/or more active magnetar population, possibly with even stronger internal magnetic fields than those of known Galactic magnetars (e.g., Beloborodov 2017). This required source population could even be the product of one or more rare formation channels (e.g., exotic supernovae, hereafter SNe, binary neutron star (NS) or NS-white dwarf mergers, or accretion-induced collapse of a white dwarf; Metzger et al 2017;Margalit et al 2019;Zhong & Dai 2020;Margalit et al 2020), but these possibilities are currently speculative. 2.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Periodic Fast Radio Bursts from Luminous X-ray Binaries

Sridhar

Metzger

Beniamini

et al. 2021

ApJ

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The discovery of periodicity in the arrival times of the fast radio bursts (FRBs) poses a challenge to the oft-studied magnetar scenarios. However, models that postulate that FRBs result from magnetized shocks or magnetic reconnection in a relativistic outflow are not specific to magnetar engines; instead, they require only the impulsive injection of relativistic energy into a dense magnetized medium. Motivated thus, we outline a new scenario in which FRBs are powered by short-lived relativistic outflows ("flares") from accreting black holes or neutron stars, which propagate into the cavity of the pre-existing ("quiescent") jet. In order to reproduce FRB luminosities and rates, we are driven to consider binaries of stellar-mass compact objects undergoing super-Eddington mass transfer, similar to ultraluminous X-ray (ULX) sources. Indeed, the host galaxies of FRBs, and their spatial offsets within their hosts, show broad similarities with ULXs. Periodicity on timescales of days to years could be attributed to precession (e.g., Lens-Thirring) of the polar accretion funnel, along which the FRB emission is geometrically and relativistically beamed, which sweeps across the observer line of sight. Accounting for the most luminous FRBs via accretion power may require a population of binaries undergoing brief-lived phases of unstable (dynamicaltimescale) mass transfer. This will lead to secular evolution in the properties of some repeating FRBs on timescales of months to years, followed by a transient optical/IR counterpart akin to a luminous red nova, or a more luminous accretion-powered optical/X-ray transient. We encourage targeted FRB searches of known ULX sources.

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Magnetars from Neutron Star–White Dwarf Mergers: Application to Fast Radio Bursts

Cited by 29 publications

References 116 publications

Dynamical Formation Channels for Fast Radio Bursts in Globular Clusters

Dynamical Formation Channels for Fast Radio Bursts in Globular Clusters

Implications of a Fast Radio Burst from a Galactic Magnetar

Periodic Fast Radio Bursts from Luminous X-ray Binaries

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