Cake Talk by Gilad Sadeh
Mergers of compact objects (binary neutron stars, BNS, or neutron star-black hole, NSBH) with a substantial mass ratio (q>1.5) are expected to produce a mildly relativistic ejecta within ∼20∘ from the orbital plane. We present a semi-analytic approach to calculate the expected synchrotron emission observed from various viewing angles, along with the corresponding radio maps, that are produced by a collisionless shock driven by such ejecta into the interstellar medium. This method is supported by 2D numerical calculations of the full relativistic hydrodynamics with an agreement in the observed emission of ∼30%. We consider a toroid ejecta with an opening angle of 15∘≤θopen≤30∘ and broken power-law mass distribution, M(>γβ)∝(γβ)−s with s=sKN at γβ<γ0β0 and s=sft at γβ>γ0β0 (where γ is the Lorentz factor). While the peak flux is dimmer by a factor of ∼2-3, and the peak time remains roughly the same (within 20%), for various viewing angles compared to isotropic equivalent ejecta (θopen=90∘) considered in preceding papers, the radio maps are significantly different from the spherical case. The semi-analytic method can provide information on the ejecta geometry and viewing angle from future radio map observations and, consequently, constrain the ejection mechanism. Due to the larger ejected mass in NSBH merger, this late non-thermal signal can be observed to distances of ≲200Mpc for typical parameter values.