English

Event Rate Density and Luminosity Function of Newborn-Magnetar-Driven X-Ray Transients from Neutron Star Binary Mergers

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena 2025-05-06 v1

Abstract

X-ray transients (XTs) driven by newborn magnetars from mergers of neutron star binaries (NSBs) were occasionally detected in the narrow-field {\it Chandra} Deep Field-South survey (CDF-S) and the {\it Swift}/XRT observations of short gamma-ray bursts (sGRBs). Quantifying their event rate density (ERD) and luminosity function (LF) is critical for understanding NSB coalescence and magnetar formation. Utilizing population synthesis calculations incorporating various equations of state (EoS), we derive a local ERD of 300Gpc3yr1\sim 300\,{\rm Gpc^{-3}\,yr^{-1}} and a redshift-dependent ERD profile peaking at z=1.81z=1.81 followed by rapid decline beyond z4z \sim 4. Constructing an XT sample based on CDF-S and {\it Swift} observations, we characterize the LF by a single power-law function at L4.75×1046  erg  s1L \leq 4.75 \times 10^{46}\;{\rm erg\;s^{-1}} with a slope of 1.03-1.03, following by a broken power-law function in which the break luminosity is Lb=4.38×1047  erg  s1L_{\rm b} = 4.38 \times 10^{47}\;{\rm erg\;s^{-1}} and the slopes are 0.28-0.28 and 1.66-1.66. Based on the ERD and the LF, we estimate that the {\it Einstein Probe} ({\it EP}) detection rate is 31  yr1\sim 31\;{\rm yr^{-1}}, adopting a conservative threshold flux of 109  erg  s110^{-9}\;{\rm erg}\;{\rm s^{-1}}, an luminosity range of L[2×1044,2×1049]  erg  s1L \in [2\times 10^{44},2\times 10^{49}]\;{\rm erg\;s^{-1}}, and a correction for jet opening angle of 16\sim 16^{\circ}. This detection rate is consistent with the {\it EP} observations during its first-year operation. It is important to note that our estimation is subject to uncertainties arising from the LF derivation. Future {\it EP} observations of these XT events will be crucial in reducing these uncertainties.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2505.02097,
  title  = {Event Rate Density and Luminosity Function of Newborn-Magnetar-Driven X-Ray Transients from Neutron Star Binary Mergers},
  author = {Le Zou and Ji-Gui Cheng and Rui-Chong Hu and Wen-Jin Xie and En-Wei Liang},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2505.02097},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

16 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ