Engine-fed Kilonovae (Mergernovae). II. Radiation

Abstract

The radioactive power generated by materials within the ejecta of a binary-neutron-star (BNS) merger powers an optical transient known as a kilonova. When the central remnant of a BNS merger is a long-lived magnetar, it continuously produces a highly magnetized wind, altering both the dynamics and temperature of the ejecta, leading to the expected emergence of an engine-fed kilonova. In the first paper of this series, we conducted a detailed study of the dynamics of wind-ejecta interaction and the efficiency of energy injection through shocks. In this work, we combine this dynamical evolution with both shock-heating and additional X-ray irradiation to model photon diffusion within a constant-opacity ejecta. By calculating the radiation, we obtain the light curve and spectral energy distribution (SED). Our findings reveal that, with energy injection, a blue bump typically appears in the early stages (≲1 day). Furthermore, if the magnetar has not spun down by that time, a brightening in the later stages occurs. Despite this, in a large parameter space, the expected luminosity of the engine-fed kilonova is not significantly higher than the typical r-process kilonova due to limited heating efficiency. The SED of engine-fed kilonovae peaks in the relatively blue band in the early stages and evolves toward the red, but at a slower rate compared to the typical r-process kilonova.