Resonant Shattering of Neutron Star Crusts
Dave Tsang
McGill University
The resonant excitation of neutron star (NS) modes by tides is investigated
as a source of short gamma-ray burst (sGRB) precursors. We find that the
driving of a crust-core interface mode can lead to shattering of the NS
crust, liberating ~10^46-10^47 erg of energy seconds before the merger
of a NS-NS or NS-black hole binary. Such properties are consistent with
Swift/BAT detections of sGRB precursors, and we use the timing of the
observed precursors to place weak constraints on the crust equation of
state. We describe how a larger sample of precursor detections could be
used alongside coincident gravitational wave detections of the inspiral by
Advanced LIGO class detectors to probe the NS structure. These two types
of observations nicely complement one another, since the former constrains
the equation of state and structure near the crust-core boundary, while
the latter is more sensitive to the core equation of state. I will also
discuss the application of such shattering flares as electromagnetic
counterparts to gravitational wave bursts from elliptic and parabolic
encounters in dense star clusters.
Date: | Mardi, le 13 novembre 2012 |
Heure: | 16:00 |
Lieu: | Université McGill |
| Ernest Rutherford Physics Building, R.E. Bell Conference Room (room 103) |
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