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The first neutron star binary merger detected in gravitational waves,GW170817 and the subsequent detection of its emission across theelectromagnetic spectrum showed that these systems are viable progenitors ofshort $\gamma$-ray bursts (sGRB). The afterglow signal of GW170817 has beenfound to be consistent with a structured GRB jet seen off-axis, requiringsignificant amounts of relativistic material at large angles. This trait can beattributed to the interaction of the relativistic jet with the external windmedium. Here we perform numerical simulations of relativistic jets interactingwith realistic wind environments in order to explore how the properties of thewind and central engine affect the structure of successful jets. We find thatthe angular energy distribution of the jet depends primarily on the ratiobetween the lifetime of the jet and the time it takes the merger remnant tocollapse. We make use of these simulations to constrain the time it took forthe merger remnant in GW170817 to collapse into a black hole based on theangular structure of the jet as inferred from afterglow observations.  We conclude that the lifetime of the merger remnant in GW170817 was $\approx1-1.7$s, which, after collapse, triggered the formation of the jet.

The Fate of the Merger Remnant in GW170817 and its Imprint on the Jet Structure