Speaker
Description
The detection of the gravitational-wave event GW170817 by the LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA Collaboration in 2017 demonstrated the feasibility of a multimessenger approach combining gravitational waves and electromagnetic counterparts produced during compact binary coalescences, such as binary neutron star (BNS) mergers and neutron star–black hole (NSBH) mergers. However, observations since 2017 have shown that these astrophysical events are relatively rare, and that detecting both the gravitational and electromagnetic signals with current instruments remains challenging.
The aim of this project is to investigate BNS and NSBH events in both the near and long-term future, in order to understand the role they will play with the upcoming upgrades of gravitational-wave detectors and the development of next-generation facilities. On the gravitational-wave side, we consider the future upgrades of the LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA (LVK) network as well as next-generation interferometers such as the Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer. For the electromagnetic counterpart, we focus on the very-high-energy component of the afterglow emission associated with gamma-ray bursts produced during the merger. In particular, we explore the detection capabilities of the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory, which is currently under construction.
To estimate the expected number of multimessenger detections in this framework and to assess how joint observations can constrain the physical properties of the merger, we are developing a numerical code to compute the synchrotron self-Compton emission of the afterglow. The model incorporates a structured jet profile, allowing us to account for both on-axis and off-axis observations of gamma-ray burst emission.