Oberlin College Physics & Astronomy Lecture Series: Terrence Pierre Jacques '18

Title:
Self-Consistent Simulations of the Bar-mode Instability in Rotating Quasi-Stable Neutron Stars

Abstract:
Rotating neutron stars in low-mass and high-mass X-ray binaries, as well as newly formed proto-neutron stars, serve as excellent astrophysical laboratories for studying the equation of state and internal structure of neutron stars. As these stars contract due to cooling, their spin angular momentum may increase, making them susceptible to the dynamical bar-mode instability. When this instability sets in, these stars redistribute matter and angular momentum, producing gravitational waves that may be detectable by future observatories. These gravitational waves may carry imprints of the neutron star equation of state and provide information on the lifetime of the instability.

In this talk, I will describe the numerical techniques used to model these quasi-stable neutron star configurations and demonstrate how gravitational wave signals from these simulations can be used to constrain the neutron star equation of state. I will also discuss how neutrino emission may influence the long-term dynamics of these systems.