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ABSTRACT Among more than 1000 known fast radio bursts (FRBs), only five sources – FRBs 20121102A, 20190520B, 20201124A, 20240114A, and 20190417A – have confirmed associations with persistent radio sources. The observed quasi-steady emission is consistent with synchrotron radiation from a composite of magnetar wind nebula and supernova (SN) ejecta. Using a phenomenological model that incorporates simplified treatments of the nebular dynamics and particle acceleration, we compute the synchrotron flux by solving kinetic equations for energized electrons, accounting for electromagnetic cascades of electron–positron pairs interacting with nebular photons. Within the framework of our model, the rotation-powered scenario requires a young neutron star (NS) with age $$t_{\rm age}\approx 20\, {\rm yr}$$, dipolar magnetic field $$B_{\rm dip}\approx (3{\!-\!}5)\times 10^{12}\, {\rm G}$$ and initial spin period $$P_i\approx 1.5{\!-\!}3\, {\rm ms}$$ in an ultra-stripped SN progenitor to account for emissions from FRBs 20121102A and 20190520B. In contrast, FRB 20201124A requires $$t_{\rm age}\approx 10\, {\rm yr}$$, $$B_{\rm dip}\approx 5.5\times 10^{13}\, {\rm G}$$, and $$P_i\approx 10\, {\rm ms}$$ in a conventional core-collapse SN progenitor. For the magnetar-flare-powered model, NS aged $$t_{\rm age} \approx 25\, /40\, {\rm yr}$$ in a USSN progenitor and $$t_{\rm age} \approx 12.5\, {\rm yr}$$ in a CCSN progenitor explains the observed flux for FRB 20121102A/20190520B and FRB 20201124A, respectively. Finally, we estimate a minimum NS age $$t_{\rm age,min} \sim 1{\!-\!}3\, {\rm yr}$$ based on the near-source plasma contribution to observed DM, and $$t_{\rm age,min} \sim 6.5{\!-\!}10\, {\rm yr}$$ from the absence of radio signal attenuation. 

ABSTRACT Recent radio observations and coincident neutrino detections suggest that some tidal disruption events (TDEs) exhibit late-time activities, relative to the optical emission peak, and these may be due to delayed outflows launched from the central supermassive black hole. We investigate the possibility that jets launched with a time delay of days to months, interact with a debris that may expand outwards. We discuss the effects of the time delay and expansion velocity on the outcomes of jet breakout and collimation. We find that a jet with an isotropic-equivalent luminosity of $$\lesssim 5 \times 10^{45}\, {\rm erg\, s}^{-1}$$ is likely to be choked for a delay time of $$\sim 3$$ months. We also study the observational signatures of such delayed choked jets. The jet–debris interaction preceding the breakout would lead to particle acceleration and the resulting synchrotron emission can be detected by current and near-future radio, optical and X-ray telescopes, and the expanding jet-driven debris could explain late-time radio emission. We discuss high-energy neutrino production in delayed choked jets, and the time delay can significantly alleviate the difficulty of the hidden jet scenario in explaining neutrino coincidences. 

Recently, radio emission from tidal disruption events (TDEs) has been observed from months to years after the optical discovery. Some of the TDEs including ASASSN-14ae, ASASSN-15oi, AT 2018hyz, and AT 2019dsg are accompanied by the late-time rebrightening phase characterized by a rapid increase in the radio flux. We show that it can be explained by the off-axis two-component jet model, in which the late-time rebrightening arises from the off-axis view of a decelerating narrower jet with an initial Lorentz factor of 10 and a jet opening angle of 0.1 rad, while the early-time radio emission is attributed to the off-axis view of a wider jet component. We also argue that the rate density of jetted TDEs inferred from these events is consistent with the observations. 

ABSTRACT It is widely believed that the binary neutron star merger GW190425 produced a black hole promptly upon merger. Motivated by the potential association with the fast radio burst FRB 20190425A, which took place 2.5 h after the merger, we revisit the question of the outcome of GW190425 by means of numerical relativity simulations. We show that current laboratory and astrophysical constraints on the equation of state of dense matter do not rule out the formation of a long-lived remnant. However, the formation of a stable remnant would have produced a bright kilonova, in tension with upper limits by ZTF at the location and time of FRB 20190425A. Moreover, the ejecta would have been optically thick to radio emission for days to months, preventing a putative FRB from propagating out. The predicted dispersion measure is also several orders of magnitude larger than that observed for FRB 20190425A. Our results indicate that FRB 20190425A and GW190425 are not associated. However, we cannot completely rule out the formation of a long-lived remnant, due to the incomplete coverage of the relevant sky regions. More observations of GW190425-like events, including potential upper limit, have the potential to constrain nuclear physics. To this aim, it is important that follow-up observational campaigns of gravitational wave events are informed by the properties of the source, such as their chirp mass, and we urge the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration to promptly release them publicly. 

ABSTRACT We perform a comparative analysis of nucleosynthesis yields from binary neutron star (BNS) mergers, black hole-neutron star (BHNS) mergers, and core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) with the goal of determining which are the most dominant sources of r-process enrichment observed in stars. We find that BNS and BHNS binaries may eject similar mass distributions of robust r-process nuclei post-merger (up to third peak and actinides, A ∼ 200−240), after accounting for the volumetric event rates. Magnetorotational (MR) CCSNe likely undergo a weak r-process (up to A ∼ 140) and contribute to the production of light element primary process (LEPP) nuclei, whereas typical thermal, neutrino-driven CCSNe only synthesize up to first r-process peak nuclei (A ∼ 80−90). We also find that the upper limit to the rate of MR CCSNe is $$\lesssim 1~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$$ the rate of typical thermal CCSNe; if the rate was higher, then weak r-process nuclei would be overproduced. Although the largest uncertainty is from the volumetric event rate, the prospects are encouraging for confirming these rates in the next few years with upcoming surveys. Using a simple model to estimate the resulting kilonova light curve from mergers and our set of fiducial merger parameters, we predict that ∼7 BNS and ∼2 BHNS events will be detectable per year by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory (LSST), with prior gravitational wave (GW) triggers. 

ABSTRACT Relativistic jets originating from protomagnetar central engines can lead to long duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and are considered potential sources of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays and secondary neutrinos. We explore the propagation of such jets through a broad range of progenitors, from stars which have shed their envelopes to supergiants which have not. We use a semi-analytical spin-down model for the strongly magnetized and rapidly rotating protoneutron star (PNS) to investigate the role of central engine properties such as the surface dipole field strength, initial rotation period, and jet opening angle on the interactions and dynamical evolution of the jet-cocoon system. With this model, we determine the properties of the relativistic jet, the mildly relativistic cocoon, and the collimation shock in terms of system parameters such as the time-dependent jet luminosity, injection angle, and density profile of the stellar medium. We also analyse the criteria for a successful jet breakout, the maximum energy that can be deposited into the cocoon by the relativistic jet, and structural stability of the magnetized outflow relative to local instabilities. Lastly, we compute the high-energy neutrino emission as these magnetized outflows burrow through their progenitors. Precursor neutrinos from successful GRB jets are unlikely to be detected by IceCube, which is consistent with the results of previous works. On the other hand, we find that high-energy neutrinos may be produced for extended progenitors like blue and red supergiants, and we estimate the detectability of neutrinos with next generation detectors such as IceCube-Gen2. 

ABSTRACT It has been suggested that strongly magnetized and rapidly rotating protoneutron stars (PNSs) may produce long duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) originating from stellar core collapse. We explore the steady-state properties and heavy element nucleosynthesis in neutrino-driven winds from such PNSs whose magnetic axis is generally misaligned with the axis of rotation. We consider a wide variety of central engine properties such as surface dipole field strength, initial rotation period, and magnetic obliquity to show that heavy element nuclei can be synthesized in the radially expanding wind. This process is facilitated provided the outflow is Poynting-flux dominated such that its low entropy and fast expansion time-scale enables heavy nuclei to form in a more efficient manner as compared to the equivalent thermal GRB outflows. We also examine the acceleration and survival of these heavy nuclei and show that they can reach sufficiently high energies ≳ 1020 eV within the same physical regions that are also responsible for powering gamma-ray emission, primarily through magnetic dissipation processes. Although these magnetized outflows generally fail to achieve the production of elements heavier than lanthanides for our explored electron fraction range 0.4–0.6, we show that they are more than capable of synthesizing nuclei near and beyond iron peak elements. 

ABSTRACT We study the nucleosynthesis products in neutrino-driven winds from rapidly rotating, highly magnetized and misaligned protomagnetars using the nuclear reaction network SkyNet. We adopt a semi-analytic parametrized model for the protomagnetar and systematically study the capabilities of its neutrino-driven wind for synthesizing nuclei and eventually producing ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs). We find that for neutron-rich outflows (Ye < 0.5), synthesis of heavy elements ($$\overline{A}\sim 20-65$$) is possible during the first $$\sim 10\, {\rm s}$$ of the outflow, but these nuclei are subjected to composition-altering photodisintegration during the epoch of particle acceleration at the dissipation radii. However, after the first $$\sim 10\, {\rm s}$$ of the outflow, nucleosynthesis reaches lighter elements ($$\overline{A}\sim 10-50$$) that are not subjected to subsequent photodisintegration. For proton-rich (Ye ≥ 0.5) outflows, synthesis is more limited ($$\overline{A}\sim 4-15$$). These suggest that while protomagnetars typically do not synthesize nuclei heavier than second r-process peak elements, they are intriguing sources of intermediate/heavy mass UHECRs. For all configurations, the most rapidly rotating protomagnetars are more conducive for nucleosynthesis with a weaker dependence on the magnetic field strength.