Linking Analytic Light-curve Models to Physical Properties of Kilonovae

Abstract

In binary neutron star mergers, lanthanide-rich dynamical ejecta and lanthanide-poor postmerger ejecta have often been linked to red and blue kilonova emission, respectively. However, analytic light-curve modeling of kilonovae often results in ejecta parameters that are at odds with such expectations. To investigate the physical meaning of the derived parameters, we perform analytic modeling of the kilonova light curves calculated with realistic multidimensional radiative transfer based on numerical relativity simulations. Our fiducial simulations adopt a faster-moving, less massive dynamical ejecta and slower-moving, more massive postmerger ejecta. The results of analytic modeling, however, show that the inferred “red” component is more massive and slower, while the “blue” component is less massive and faster, as also inferred for GW170817/AT 2017gfo. This suggests that the parameters derived from light-curve modeling with an analytic model do not represent the true configuration of the kilonova ejecta. We demonstrate that the postmerger ejecta contributes to both blue and red emissions: the emission from the postmerger ejecta is absorbed and reprocessed to red emission by the dynamical ejecta with a higher lanthanide fraction. Our results caution against separately discussing the origins of the red and blue components derived from the analytic models. Despite the challenges in the parameter estimation, we show that the estimate of the total ejecta mass is rather robust within a factor of a few, reflecting the total luminosity output. To derive the reliable total ejecta mass, multiepoch observations in near-infrared wavelengths near their light-curve peaks are important.

Keywords

• Transient sources
• Time domain astronomy
• Neutron stars
• Gravitational waves
• Radiative transfer simulations