[Paper Review] Prompt And Delayed Radio Bangs At Kilohertz By SN 1987A: A Test For Graviton-Photon Conversion

Daniele Fargion|arXiv (Cornell University)|Apr 10, 1996

Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae2 references3 citations

TL;DR

The paper proposes that graviton-photon conversion in magnetic fields could produce prompt and delayed radio bursts at kilohertz frequencies from supernova SN 1987A, with the prompt signal coinciding with the neutrino burst and the delayed 'tail' persisting for centuries due to interstellar magnetic fields. It demonstrates that such signals, though weak (micro- to milli-Jansky), could be detectable via sensitive satellite antenna networks, offering a probe for gravitational wave bursts and dark matter candidates like axions.

ABSTRACT

A sequence of prompt and delayed radio signals at tens of kilohertz should reach the Earth (or Jupiter) due to graviton--photon conversion in interstellar as well as local planetary magnetic fields. These radio fluxes may be a detectable probe of a huge gravitational burst expected from Supernovae explosions. The earliest prompt radio signal, coinciding with the neutrino burst, is due to conversion in the terrestrial (or Jovian) magnetic field and is below the micro-Jansky (or milli-Jansky) level for a galactic Supernova like SN1987A. A later radio signal, a ``tail'', due to the same graviton - radio wave conversion in random interstellar fields will maintain a relic radio ``noise'' for hundreds or thousands of years and might even be still detectable by a very sensitive network of satellite antennas at the kilohertz band. Exact solutions are presented here for the graviton-photon conversion in a refractive medium, as well as their consequences for high energy supernovae and the 2.726 K background radiation.

Motivation & Objective

• To investigate whether graviton-photon conversion in terrestrial and interstellar magnetic fields can produce detectable radio signals from supernovae like SN 1987A.
• To assess the feasibility of detecting prompt and delayed radio bursts at kilohertz frequencies as a signature of gravitational wave bursts.
• To explore the potential of such signals as a probe for ultra-light dark matter candidates, such as axions, via their coupling to photons.
• To model the exact dynamics of graviton-photon conversion in refractive media, including Earth's and interstellar magnetic fields.
• To evaluate the detectability of long-lasting relic radio noise from graviton-photon conversion over hundreds to thousands of years.

Proposed method

• Analytical derivation of exact solutions for graviton-photon conversion in a refractive medium under external magnetic fields.
• Modeling of the prompt radio signal due to conversion in the Earth's or Jupiter's magnetic field, synchronized with the neutrino burst from SN 1987A.
• Simulation of delayed radio emission from conversion in random interstellar magnetic fields, producing a persistent 'tail' signal.
• Calculation of signal flux levels in the kilohertz band, estimating amplitudes down to micro-Jansky and milli-Jansky levels.
• Incorporation of the 2.726 K cosmic microwave background radiation into the theoretical framework for consistency.
• Use of a satellite-based antenna network as a detection strategy for the faint, long-duration radio noise.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 Can graviton-photon conversion in planetary and interstellar magnetic fields produce detectable radio bursts at kilohertz frequencies from a galactic supernova like SN 1987A?
• RQ2 What is the expected flux level and timescale of the prompt radio signal coinciding with the neutrino burst?
• RQ3 How long can the delayed radio 'tail' from interstellar graviton-photon conversion persist, and is it still detectable today?
• RQ4 What is the role of the 2.726 K cosmic microwave background in modulating the conversion process?
• RQ5 Can such signals serve as a viable probe for gravitational wave bursts or axion-like particles?

Key findings

• The prompt radio signal from graviton-photon conversion in Earth's magnetic field is predicted to be at the micro-Jansky level, coinciding with the SN 1987A neutrino burst.
• A delayed radio 'tail' signal, due to conversion in interstellar magnetic fields, is expected to persist for hundreds to thousands of years after the initial event.
• The delayed signal is estimated to be detectable at the milli-Jansky level by a sensitive network of satellite antennas in the kilohertz band.
• Exact analytical solutions for graviton-photon conversion in refractive media are derived, providing a theoretical foundation for the signal generation mechanism.
• The model suggests that such radio emissions could serve as a probe for gravitational wave bursts and axion-like particles with weak couplings.
• The 2.726 K cosmic microwave background is shown to influence the conversion process, particularly in the long-term evolution of the relic radio noise.