Late-time Kilonova Light Curves and Implications to GW170817

Abstract

We discuss the late time (tens of days) emission from the radioactive ejecta of mergers involving neutron stars, when the ionization energy loss time of beta-decay electrons and positrons exceeds the expansion time. We show that if the e$^\pm$ are confined to the plasma (by magnetic fields), then the time dependence of the plasma heating rate, $\dot{\varepsilon}_d$, and hence of the bolometric luminosity $L=\dot{\varepsilon}_d$, are given by $d\log L/d\log t\simeq-2.8$, nearly independent of the composition and of the instantaneous radioactive energy release rate, $\dot{\varepsilon}$. This universality of the late time behavior is due to the weak dependence of the ionization loss rate on composition and on e$^\pm$ energy. The late time IR and optical measurements of GW 170817 are consistent with this expected behavior provided that the ionization loss time exceeds the expansion time at $t>t_\varepsilon\approx 7$~d, as predicted based on the early (few day) electromagnetic emission.