Evolutionary sequences of irrotational binary neutron stars (original) (raw)
Related papers
Numerical Models of Irrotational Binary Neutron Stars in General Relativity
Physical Review Letters, 1999
We report on general relativistic calculations of quasiequilibrium configurations of binary neutron stars in circular orbits with zero vorticity. These configurations are expected to represent realistic situations as opposed to corotating configurations. The Einstein equations are solved under the assumption of a conformally flat spatial 3-metric (Wilson-Mathews approximation). The velocity field inside the stars is computed by solving an elliptical equation for the velocity scalar potential. Results are presented for sequences of constant baryon number (evolutionary sequences). Although the central density decreases much less with the binary separation than in the corotating case, it still decreases. Thus, no tendency is found for the stars to individually collapse to black hole prior to merger.
Analysis of the Conformally Flat Approximation for Binary Neutron Star Initial Conditions
Advances in Astronomy
The spatially conformally flat approximation (CFA) is a viable method to deduce initial conditions for the subsequent evolution of binary neutron stars employing the full Einstein equations. Here we analyze the viability of the CFA for the general relativistic hydrodynamic initial conditions of binary neutron stars. We illustrate the stability of the conformally flat condition on the hydrodynamics by numerically evolving ~100 quasicircular orbits. We illustrate the use of this approximation for orbiting neutron stars in the quasicircular orbit approximation to demonstrate the equation of state dependence of these initial conditions and how they might affect the emergent gravitational wave frequency as the stars approach the innermost stable circular orbit.
General relativistic models of binary neutron stars in quasiequilibrium
Physical Review D, 1998
We perform fully relativistic calculations of binary neutron stars in corotating, circular orbit. While Newtonian gravity allows for a strict equilibrium, a relativistic binary system emits gravitational radiation, causing the system to lose energy and slowly spiral inwards. However, since inspiral occurs on a time scale much longer than the orbital period, we can treat the binary to be in quasiequilibrium. In this approximation, we integrate a subset of the Einstein equations coupled to the relativistic equation of hydrostatic equilibrium to solve the initial value problem for binaries of arbitrary separation. We adopt a polytropic equation of state to determine the structure and maximum mass of neutron stars in close binaries for polytropic indices n=1, 1.5 and 2. We construct sequences of constant rest-mass and locate turning points along energy equilibrium curves to identify the onset of orbital instability. In particular, we locate the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO) and its angular velocity. We construct the first contact binary systems in full general relativity. These arise whenever the equation of state is sufficiently soft >= 1.5. A radial stability analysis reveals no tendency for neutron stars in close binaries to collapse to black holes prior to merger.
Information about the last stages of a binary neutron star inspiral and the final merger can be extracted from quasiequilibrium configurations and dynamical evolutions. In this article, we construct quasiequili-brium configurations for different spins, eccentricities, mass ratios, compactnesses, and equations of state. For this purpose we employ the SGRID code, which allows us to construct such data in previously inaccessible regions of the parameter space. In particular, we consider spinning neutron stars in isolation and in binary systems; we incorporate new methods to produce highly eccentric and eccentricity-reduced data; we present the possibility of computing data for significantly unequal-mass binaries with mass ratios q ≃ 2; and we create equal-mass binaries with individual compactness up to C ≃ 0.23. As a proof of principle, we explore the dynamical evolution of three new configurations. First, we simulate a q ¼ 2.06 mass ratio which is the highest mass ratio for a binary neutron star evolved in numerical relativity to date. We find that mass transfer from the companion star sets in a few revolutions before merger and a rest mass of ∼10 −2 M ⊙ is transferred between the two stars. This amount of mass accretion corresponds to ∼10 51 ergs of accretion energy. This configuration also ejects a large amount of material during merger (∼7.6 × 10 −2 M ⊙), imparting a substantial kick to the remnant neutron star. Second, we simulate the first merger of a precessing binary neutron star. We present the dominant modes of the gravitational waves for the precessing simulation, where a clear imprint of the precession is visible in the (2,1) mode. Finally, we quantify the effect of an eccentricity-reduction procedure on the gravitational waveform. The procedure improves the waveform quality and should be employed in future precision studies. However, one also needs to reduce other errors in the waveforms, notably truncation errors, in order for the improvement due to eccentricity reduction to be effective.
Physical Review D, 2001
We study equilibrium sequences of close binary systems composed of identical polytropic stars in Newtonian gravity. The solving method is a multi-domain spectral method which we have recently developed. An improvement is introduced here for accurate computations of binary systems with stiff equation of state (γ > 2). The computations are performed for both cases of synchronized and irrotational binary systems with adiabatic indices γ = 3, 2.5, 2.25, 2 and 1.8. It is found that the turning points of total energy along a constant-mass sequence appear only for γ ≥ 1.8 for synchronized binary systems and γ ≥ 2.3 for irrotational ones. In the synchronized case, the equilibrium sequences terminate by the contact between the two stars. On the other hand, for irrotational binaries, it is found that the sequences terminate at a mass shedding limit which corresponds to a detached configuration.
Accurate evolutions of inspiralling neutron-star binaries: prompt and delayed collapse to black hole
2008
Binary neutron-star (BNS) systems represent primary sources for the gravitational-wave (GW) detectors. We present a systematic investigation in full GR of the dynamics and GW emission from BNS which inspiral and merge, producing a black hole (BH) surrounded by a torus. Our results represent the state of the art from several points of view: (i) We use HRSC methods for the hydrodynamics equations and high-order finite-differencing techniques for the Einstein equations; (ii) We employ AMR techniques with "moving boxes"; (iii) We use as initial data BNSs in irrotational quasi-circular orbits; (iv) We exploit the isolated-horizon formalism to measure the properties of the BHs produced in the merger; (v) Finally, we use two approaches, based either on gauge-invariant perturbations or on Weyl scalars, to calculate the GWs. These techniques allow us to perform accurate evolutions on timescales never reported before (ie ~30 ms) and to provide the first complete description of the i...
Binary Neutron Stars in General Relativity: Quasiequilibrium Models
Physical Review Letters, 1997
We perform fully relativistic calculations of binary neutron stars in quasi-equilibrium circular orbits. We integrate Einstein's equations together with the relativistic equation of hydrostatic equilibrium to solve the initial value problem for equal-mass binaries of arbitrary separation. We construct sequences of constant rest mass and identify the innermost stable circular orbit and its angular velocity. We find that the quasi-equilibrium maximum allowed mass of a neutron star in a close binary is slightly larger than in isolation.
Impact of the nuclear equation of state on the last orbits of binary neutron stars
Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2005
We present calculations of quasi-equilibrium sequences of irrotational binary neutron stars based on realistic equations of state (EOS) for the whole neutron star interior. Three realistic nuclear EOSs of various softness and based on different microscopic models have been joined with a recent realistic EOS of the crust, giving in this way three different EOSs of a neutron-star interior. Computations of quasi-equilibrium sequences are performed within the Isenberg-Wilson-Mathews approximation to general relativity. For all evolutionary sequences, the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO) is found to be given by mass-shedding limit (Roche lobe overflow). The EOS dependence on the last orbits is found to be quite important: for two 1.35 M neutron stars, the gravitational wave frequency at the ISCO (which marks the end of the inspiral phase) ranges from 800 Hz to 1200 Hz, depending upon the EOS. Detailed comparisons with 3rd order post-Newtonian results for point-mass binaries reveals a very good agreement until hydrodynamical effects (dominated by high-order functions of frequency) become important, which occurs at a frequency ranging from 500 Hz to 1050 Hz, depending upon the EOS.
The Central Density of Neutron Stars in Close Binaries
Physical Review Letters, 1997
Recent numerical simulations of coalescing binary neutron stars conducted by Wilson, Mathews and Marronetti (WMM) show a rising central energy density of the stars as the orbital separation shrinks, i.e. the stars are individually crushed as they near coalescence. They claim this "star-crushing" effect is partially due to a non-linear, first post-Newtonian order enhancement of the self-gravity of each star caused by the presence of the other star. We present a concrete calculation which shows, within general relativity, first post-Newtonian order interactions with the other star leave the central energy density unchanged as the orbital radius shrinks. The results presented here are in sharp disagreement with the WMM claim. However, alternative gravitational theories, such as Brans-Dicke theory, can exhibit a small crushing effect in the binary constituents as they near coalescence. We show that the absence of the star-crushing effect at first post-Newtonian order is related to adherence to the strong equivalence principle.