Detecting short-term gravitational waves from post-merger hyper-massive neutron stars with a kilohertz detector

Gravitational waves emanating from binary neutron star inspirals,alongside electromagnetic transients resulting from the aftermath of the GW170817 merger,have been successfully detected.However,the intricate post-merger dynamics that bridge these two sets of observables remain enigmatic.This includes if,and when,the post-merger remnant star collapses to a black hole,and what are the necessary conditions to power a short gamma-ray burst,and other observed electromagnetic counterparts.Our focus is on the detection of gravitational wave(GW)emissions from hyper-massive neutron stars(NSs)formed through binary neutron star(BNS)mergers.Utilizing several kilohertz GW detectors,we simulate BNS mergers within the detection limits of LIGO-Virgo-KARGA O4.Our objective is to ascertain the fraction of simulated sources that may emit detectable post-merger GW signals.For kilohertz detectors equipped with a new cavity design,we estimate that approximately 1.1%-32%of sources would emit a detectable post-merger GW signal.This fraction is contingent on the mass converted into gravitational wave energy,ranging from 0.01M_(sun)to 0.1M_(sun).Furthermore,by evaluating other well-regarded proposed kilohertz GW detectors,we anticipate that the fraction can increase to as much as 2.1%-61%under optimal performance conditions.

Systematic comparison of initial velocities for neutron stars in different models

I have studied the initial velocity（Maxwellian and exponential distributions） and the scale height of isolated old（aged≥10^9yr） neutron stars（NSs） at different Galactocentric distances R in three population models. The smooth time-independent 3-D axisymmetric gravitational potentials（MiyamotoNagai and Paczy n′ski models） were also used. The correlation between these quantities significantly affects the shapes of the profiles and distributions of the simulated sample, because the differences in the initial kick can arise from differences in the formation and evolution of NSs with other physical parameters. The scale height of the density distribution increases systematically with R. I have also shown that the distribution of old NSs in these population models agrees with the observed structure of the Galaxy in terms of initial velocities（1-D and 3-D）, as well as the scale height distributions. These distributions tend to have an asymptotic behavior at the point R = 2.75 kpc. This means that the quality of the models can be described in terms of a mean of the fitted Gaussian, and this could also give an overall perspective of the phase space properties of nearby old NSs on a given gravitational potential.

Observational Constraints on Quark Matter in Neutron Stars

We study the observational constraints of mass and redshift on the properties of the equation of state （EOS） for quark matter in compact stars based on the quasi-particle description. We discuss two scenarios; strange stars and hybrid stars. We construct the equations of state utilizing an extended MIT bag model taking the medium effect into account for quark matter and the relativistic mean field theory for hadron matter. We show that quark matter may exist in strange stars and in the interior of neutron stars. The bag constant is a key parameter that affects strongly the mass of strange stars. The medium effect can lead to the stiffer hybrid-star EOS approaching the pure hadronic EOS, due to the reduction of quark matter, and hence the existence of heavy hybrid stars. We find that a middle range coupling constant may be the best choice for the hybrid stars being compatible with the observational constraints.

Prospect of Detecting Magnetic Fields from Strong-magnetized Binary Neutron Stars

Binary neutron star mergers are unique sources of gravitational waves in multi-messenger astronomy.The inspira phase of binary neutron stars can emit gravitational waves as chirp signals.The present waveform models o gravitational waves only considered the gravitational interaction.In this paper,we derive the waveform of th gravitational wave signal taking into account the presence of magnetic fields.We found that the electromagneti interaction and radiation can introduce different frequency-dependent power laws for both the amplitude and frequency of the gravitational wave.We show from the results of the Fisher information matrix that the third generation observation may detect magnetic dipole moments if the magnetic field is~10^(17)G.

From Finite Nuclei to Neutron Stars: The Essential Role of High-Order Density Dependence in Effective Forces

A unified description of finite nuclei and equation of state of neutron stars presents both a major challenge and also opportunities for understanding nuclear interactions.Inspired by the Lee-Huang-Yang formula of hardsphere gases,we develop effective nuclear interactions with an additional high-order density dependent term.While the original Skyrme force SLy4 is widely used in studies of neutron stars,there are not satisfactory global descriptions of finite nuclei.The refitted SLy4' force can improve descriptions of finite nuclei but slightly reduces the radius of neutron star of 1.4 M_☉ with M_☉ being the solar mass.We find that the extended SLy4 force with a higher-order density dependence can properly describe properties of both finite nuclei and GW170817 binary neutron stars,including the mass-radius relation and the tidal deformability.This demonstrates the essential role of high-order density dependence at ultrahigh densities.Our work provides a unified and predictive model for neutron stars,as well as new insights for the future development of effective interactions.

Resonant cyclotron scattering in pulsar magnetospheres and its application to isolated neutron stars

Resonant cyclotron scattering （RCS） in pulsar magnetospheres is considered. The photon diffusion equation （Kompaneets equation） for RCS is derived. The photon system is modeled three dimensionally. Numerical calculations show that there exist not only up scattering but also down scattering of RCS, depending on the parameter space. RCS＇s possible applications to spectral energy distributions of magnetar candidates and radio quiet isolated neutron stars （INSs） are pointed out. The optical/UV excess of INSs may be caused by the down scattering of RCS. The calculations for RX J1856.5-3754 and RX J0720.4-3125 are presented and compared with their observational data. In our model, the INSs are proposed to be normal neutron stars, although the quark star hypothesis is still possible. The low pulsation amplitude of INSs is a natural consequence in the RCS model.

R-mode instability of strange stars and observations of neutron stars in LMXBs

Using a realistic equation of state （EOS） of strange quark matter, namely, the modified bag model, and considering the constraints on the parameters of EOS by the observational mass limit of neutron stars, we investigate the r-mode instability window of strange stars, and find the same result as in the brief study of Haskell, Degenaar and Ho in 2012 that these instability windows are not consistent with the spin frequency and temperature observations of neutron stars in low mass X-ray binaries.

Long-term evolution and gravitational wave radiation of neutron stars with differential rotation induced by r-modes

In a second-order r-mode theory, Sa and Tome found that the r-mode oscillation in neutron stars （NSs） could induce stellar differential rotation, which naturally leads to a saturated state of the oscillation. Based on a consideration of the coupling of the r-modes and the stellar spin and thermal evolution, we carefully investigate the influences of the differential rotation on the long-term evolution of isolated NSs and NSs in low-mass X-ray binaries, where the viscous damping of the r-modes and its resultant effects are taken into account. The numerical results show that, for both kinds of NSs, the differential rotation can significantly prolong the duration of the r-modes. As a result, the stars can keep nearly a constant temperature and constant angular velocity for over a thousand years. Moreover, the persistent radiation of a quasi-monochromatic gravitational wave would also be predicted due to the long-term steady r-mode oscillation and stellar rotation. This increases the detectability of gravitational waves from both young isolated and old accreting NSs.

Influence of a scalar-isovector δ-meson field on the quark phase structure in neutron stars

The deconfinement phase transition from hadronic matter to quark matter in the interior of compact stars is investigated. The hadronic phase is described in the framework of relativistic mean-field theory, where the scalar-isovector 6-meson effec- tive field is also taken into account. The MIT bag model for describing a quark phase is used. The changes of the parameters of phase transition caused by the presence of a δ-meson field are explored. Finally, alterations in the integral and structural parameters of hybrid stars due to both a deconfinement phase transition and inclusion of a δ-meson field are discussed.

Neutron stars:a relativistic study

We study the inner structure of a neutron star from a theoretical point of view and the outcome results are compared with observed data. We propose a stiff equation of state relating pressure with matter density. From our study we calculate mass（M）,compactness（u） and surface redshift（Zs） for two binary millisecond pulsars,namely PSR J1614–2230 and PSR J1903＋327,and four X-ray binaries,namely Cen X-3,SMC X-1,Vela X-1 and Her X-1,and compare them with recent observational data.Finally,we examine the stability for such a type of theoretical structure.

Effects of Δ-Isobars on Neutron Stars

We have investigated the possibility of the presence of the deltas in neutron star matter and their effects on neutron stars. Δ-meson couplings of the theoretical predictions are only restricted in a region where the deltas can be present and even a first-order phase transition may take place, making the EOS sorer and the maximum mass of neutron stars smaller. The presence of the deltas leads to the rapid decrease of neutrino mean free paths.

Effect of Superstrong Magnetic Fields on Nuclear Energy Generation Rate in the Crust of Neutron Stars

This paper shows that superstrong magnetic fields （such as those of magnetars） can increase the energy generation rate many times in the crust of neutron stars. This result undoubtedly not only influences the cooling of neutron stars and the X-ray luminosity observed of neutron stars but also the evolution of neutron stars.

Knotted Solitons in an Interacting Mixture of a Charged and a Neutral Superfluid for Neutron Stars

By making use of the decomposition of U（1） gauge potential theory and the C-mapping method we discuss a mixture of interacting neutral and charged Bose condensates, which is supposed being realized in the interior of neutron stars in the form of a coexistent neutron superfluid and protonic superconductor. We propose that this system possesses vortex lines and two classes of knotted solitons. The topological charge of the vortex lines are characterized by the Hopf indices and the Brower degrees of φ-mapping, and the knotted solitons are described by nontrivial Hopf invariant and the BF action respectively.

The optical/ultraviolet excess of isolated neutron stars in the resonant cyclotron scattering model

X-ray dim isolated neutron stars are peculiar pulsar-like objects, characterized by their Planck-like spectrum. In studying their spectral energy distributions, optical/ultraviolet （UV） excess is a long standing problem. Recently Kaplan et al. measured the optical/UV excess for all seven sources, which is understandable in the resonant cyclotron scattering （RCS） model previously addressed. The RCS model calculations show that the RCS process can account for the observed optical/UV excess for most sources. The flat spectrum of RX J2143.0＋0654 may be due to contributions from the bremsstrahlung emission of the electron system in addition to the RCS process.

Thermal evolution of neutron stars with decaying magnetic fields

Rotochemical heating originates in the deviation from beta equilibrium due to spin-down compression, which is closely related to the dipole magnetic field. We numerically calculate the deviation from chemical equilibrium and thermal evolution of neutron stars with decaying magnetic fields. We find that the power-law long term decay of the magnetic field slightly affects the deviation from chemical equilibrium and surface temperature. However, the magnetic decay leads to older neutron stars that could have a different surface temperature with the same magnetic field strength. That is, older neutron stars with a low magnetic field （10^8 G） could have a lower temper- ature even with rotochemical heating in operation, which probably explains the lack of other observations on older millisecond pulsars with higher surface temperature, except millisecond pulsar J0437-4715.

Strange Stars: Can Their Crust Reach the Neutron Drip Density?

The electrostatic potential of electrons near the surface of static strange stars at zero temperature is studied within the frame of the MIT bag model. We find that for QCD parameters within rather wide ranges, if the nuclear crust on the strange star is at a density leading to neutron drip, then the electrostatic potential will be insufficient to establish an outwardly directed electric field, which is crucial for the survival of such a crust. If a minimum gap width of 200 fm is brought in as a more stringent constraint, then our calculations will completely rule out the possibility of such crusts. Therefore, our results argue against the existence of neutron-drip crusts in nature.

Hyperon Effects on the Spin Parameter of Rotating Neutron Stars

Based on the equations of state from the relativistic mean field theory without and with the inclusion of strangeness-bearing hyperons, we study the dimensionless spin parameter j = cJ/（GM2） of uniformly rotat- ing neutron stars. It is shown that the maximum value of the spin parameter jmax of a neutron star rotating at the Keplerian frequency fK is .jmax - 0.7 when the star mass M 〉 0.SM⊙, which is sustained for various versions of equations of state without and with hyperons. The relationship between j and the scaled rotation frequency f /fK is found to be insensitive to the star mass or the adopted equation of state in the models without hyperons. However, the emergence of byperons in neutron stars will lead to an uncertainty of the spin parameter j, which in turn could generate a complexity in the theoretical study of the quasi-periodic oscillations observed in disk-accreting compact-star systems.

Effects of Gravitational Correction on Neutrino Emission from Neutron Stars

Considering the gravitational correction through introduction of weakly interacting light vector U bosons, not only the equation of state （EoS） of the neutron star matter, but also the cooling properties of neutron stars may be changed. In this work, effects of gravitational correction on neutrino emission and cooling of neutron stars in the matter with neutrons, protons, electrons, muons, △- and △0 are studied by the relativistic mean field theory and the related cooling theory. The results show that the effects are sensitive to the ratio of coupling strength to mass squared of U bosons, defined as gu. With increasing gu, the radial region where direct Urca process of nucleons can be allowed in a neutron star with the fixed mass becomes narrower, while the neutrino emissivity is somewhat higher. Moreover, the gravitational correction suppresses the effects of △- on neutrino emission. The gravitational correction leads the star to cool faster, and the higher the gu is, the faster the star cools.

The EOSs and the Blatant Discrepancy in Modelling Massive Neutron Stars: Origin and a Possible Solution Method

Exploring the state of ultra-cold supranuclear dense matter that makes up the cores of massive neutron stars is one of the greatest unresolved problems in modern physics. In this letter, we show that when the interiors of pulsars are made of compressible and dissipative normal matter, the commonly used solution procedures combined with the known EOSs yield widely scattered solutions and poorly determined radii. A remarkable agreement emerges, however, if pulsars harbour cores that are made of incompressible entropy-free superfluids (SuSu-matter) embedded in flat spacetimes. Such supranuclear dense matter should condensate to form false vacua as predicated by non-perterbative QCD vacuum. The solutions here are found to be physically consistent and mathematically elegant, irrespective of the object’s mass. Based thereon, we conclude that the true masses of massive NSs may differ significantly from those revealed by direct observation.

Antikaon Condensation and In-medium Kaon and Antikaon Production in Protoneutron Stars

Antikaon condensation and kaon and antikaon production in protoneutron stars are investigated in a chiral hadronic model （also referred to as the FST model in this paper）. The effects of neutrino trapping on protoneutron stars are analyzed systematically. It is shown that neutrino trapping makes the critical density of K^- condensation delay to higher density and fifo condensation not occur. The equation of state （EOS） of （proto）neutron star matter with neutrino trapping is stiffer than that without neutrino trapping. As a result, the maximum masses of （proto）neutron stars with neutrino trapping are larger than those without neutrino trapping. If hyperons are taken into account, antikaon does not form a condensate in （proto）neutron stars. Meanwhile, the corresponding EOS becomes much softer, and the maximum masses of （proto）neutron stars are smaller than those without hyprons. Finally, our results illustrate that the Q values for K^＋ and K^- production in （proto）neutron stars are not sensitive to neutrino trapping and inclusion of hyperons.