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At least 1,045 records · Page 58

ARRIVAL TIME DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GRAVITATIONAL WAVES AND ELECTROMAGNETIC SIGNALS DUE TO GRAVITATIONAL LENSING

In this study we demonstrate that general relativity predicts arrival time differences between gravitational wave (GW) and electromagnetic (EM) signals caused by the wave effects in gravitational lensing. The GW signals can arrive earlier than the EM signals in some cases if the GW/EM signals have passed through a lens, even if both signals were emitted simultaneously by a source. GW wavelengths are much larger than EM wavelengths; therefore, the propagation of the GWs does not follow the laws of geometrical optics, including the Shapiro time delay, if the lens mass is less than approximately 10{sup 5} M {sub ⊙}( f /Hz){sup −1}, where f is the GW frequency. The arrival time difference can reach ∼0.1 s ( f /Hz){sup −1} if the signals have passed by a lens of mass ∼8000 M {sub ⊙}( f /Hz){sup −1} with the impact parameter smaller than the Einstein radius; therefore, it is more prominent for lower GW frequencies. For example, when a distant supermassive black hole binary (SMBHB) in a galactic center is lensed by an intervening galaxy, the time lag becomes of the order of 10 days. Future pulsar timing arrays including the Square Kilometre Array and X-ray detectors may detect several time lags by measuring the orbital phase differences between the GW/EM signals in the SMBHBs. Gravitational lensing imprints a characteristic modulation on a chirp waveform; therefore, we can deduce whether a measured arrival time lag arises from intrinsic source properties or gravitational lensing. Determination of arrival time differences would be extremely useful in multimessenger observations and tests of general relativity.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Phase-transition Theory of Kerr Black Holes in the Electromagnetic Field

For a Kerr black hole (KBH) with spin J and mass M in a steady electromagnetic field, a special Wald vacuum solution (WVS) has been found in the case of the no-source uniform field. For WVS, the Meissner effect (ME) occurs only in the the extreme KBH, where M{sup 2}/J = 1, in this case, the magnetic field is totally excluded from the event horizon (EH) of KBH. However, WVS does not consider the Hawking radiation (HR) but treats KBH as an absolutely black body. If HR is added , researchers believe that the condition is not so restricted and it is possible for ME to occur in the less-extreme case. How less is the “less-extreme case”? This paper tries to answer this question. Since the Hawking temperature T{sub H} of KBH defined by HR is proportional to the surface gravity κ at the EH, this question is actually about the so-called existence/non-existence of ME (ME/NME) or superconducting phase transition. In this paper, we study the connection between the superconductivity of KBH-EH and the existence of Weyl fermion. Using thermodynamic formulas and the KBH state equation, we prove that the inherent-parameter condition for ME to occur is M{sup 2}/J⩽ϵ{sub c}=1.5 in force-free fields whether it be in the simple axisymmetric vacuum zero source case or in the non-zero source case, which can be described by the nonlinear Grad–Shafranov equation. We suggest that this is a second-order phase transition and calculate the critical exponents δ = 1 and η = 1/2 for the specific heat diverging at constant J.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Electromagnetic Signals Following Stellar-mass Black Hole Mergers

It is often assumed that gravitational-wave (GW) events resulting from the merger of stellar-mass black holes are unlikely to produce electromagnetic (EM) counterparts. We point out that the progenitor binary has probably shed a mass ≳10 M {sub ⊙} during its prior evolution. If even a tiny fraction of this gas is retained in a circumbinary disk, the sudden mass loss and recoil of the merged black hole shocks and heats it within hours of the GW event. Whether the resulting EM signal is detectable is uncertain. The optical depth through the disk is likely to be high enough that the prompt emission consists only of photons from its optically thin skin, while the majority may take years to emerge. However, if some mechanism can release more photons in a time comparable to the few-hour energy production time, the peak luminosity of the EM signal could be detectable. For a disk retaining only ∼10{sup −3} of the mass shed in the earlier binary evolution, medium-energy X-rays to infrared emission would be observable hours after the GW event for source distances of ∼500 Mpc. Events like this may already have been observed, but ascribed to unidentified active galactic nuclei. Improved sky localization should eventually allow identification based on spatial coincidence. A detection would provide unique constraints on formation scenarios and potentially offer tests of strong-field general relativity. Accordingly, we argue that the high scientific payoff of an EM detection fully justifies search campaigns.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗