Monster Shocks, Gamma-Ray Bursts, and Black Hole Quasi-normal Modes from Neutron-star Collapse

Abstract

We perform the first magnetohydrodynamic simulation tracking the magnetosphere of a collapsing magnetar. The collapse is expected for massive rotating magnetars formed in merger events, and may occur many hours after the merger. Our simulation suggests a novel mechanism for a gamma-ray burst (GRB) which is uncollimated and forms a delayed high-energy counterpart of the merger gravitational waves. The simulation shows that the collapse launches an outgoing magnetospheric shock, and a hot magnetized outflow forms behind the shock. The outflow is baryon-free and uncollimated, and its power peaks on a millisecond timescale. Then, the outflow becomes modulated by the ring-down of the nascent black hole, imprinting its kilohertz quasi-normal modes on the GRB tail.