Speaker
Gavin Lamb
Description
The peak magnitude for orphan afterglows from the jets of
gravitational wave (GW)
detected BH/NS-NS mergers highly depends on the jet
half-opening angle. For a
short GRB with a homogeneous jet structure, the jet half
opening angle that gives
an orphan afterglow viewed at the typical inclination for a
GW detected event, 38
degrees, that is brighter at optical frequencies than the
comparable macronova
emission can be found. Structured jets, where the energetics
and Lorentz factor
vary with angle from the central axis, may have low-Lorentz
factor components
where the prompt emission is suppressed; GW electromagnetic
(EM) counterparts
may reveal a population of failed-GRB orphan afterglows.
Features in the light-
curves from orphan afterglows can be used to indicate the
presence of extended
structure within the jets from compact binary mergers.
