Gamma-ray bursts and density evolution of neutron star binary mergers

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The evolution of the comoving cosmic merger-rate density of neutron star binaries nc(z) is calculated using a distribution of their merging times provided by population-synthesis computations of binary stars. We adopt an exponential law for the star formation rate with various timescales for different morphological types of galaxies. For elliptical galaxies also an initial burst of star formation, lasting one Gyr, is considered. The resulting nc(z) of most models agree with the form nc(z) ∝ (1+z)¹.⁵⁻² for z < 2, which has been proposed for the source population of gamma-ray bursts. Assuming a standard candle luminosity, the computed brightness distribution is consistent with the BATSE results if bursts at the peak flux threshold, P = 0.4 photons cm⁻²/s, are located at a limiting redshift of 1.9 to 3.3. Progenitors of the systems producing gamma-ray bursts at small redshift (bright) are likely to host in spiral galaxies and star forming regions whereas these at high redshift (dim) reside mainly in elliptical galaxies. The location of a burst may be up to a Mpc away from the host galaxy.