Interface Modes in Inspiralling Neutron Stars: A Gravitational-Wave Probe of First-Order Phase Transitions

Authors:
Top Cited Papers
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
At the extreme densities in neutron stars, a phase transition to deconfined quark matter is anticipated. Yet masses, radii, and tidal deformabilities offer only indirect measures of a first-order phase transition, requiring many detections to resolve or being ineffective observables if the discontinuity exists at lower densities. We report on a smoking-gun gravitational-wave signature of a first-order transition: the resonant tidal excitation of an interface mode. Using relativistic perturbation theory with an equation-of-state family informed by chiral effective field theory, we show that such a resonance may be detectable with next-generation interferometers and possibly already with LIGO A+ for sufficiently loud events.
Funding Information
  • Horizon 2020 Framework Programme
  • H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (101151301)
  • Science and Technology Facilities Council (ST/Y00082X/1)
  • U.S. Department of Energy (DE-FG02-00ER41132)
  • Office of Science
  • Nuclear Physics (DE-AC52-06NA25396)
  • University of Washington
  • Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing (20230315ER)

This publication has 55 references indexed in Scilit: