Limiting rotational period of neutron stars

Journal Article · Sun Nov 15 00:00:00 EST 1992 · Physical Review, D (Particles Fields); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.46.4161· OSTI ID:6950413

Glendenning, N K ^[1]

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1. Nuclear Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

We seek an absolute limit on the rotational period for a neutron star as a function of its mass, based on the minimal constraints imposed by Einstein's theory of relativity, Le Chatelier's principle, causality, and a low-density equation of state, uncertainties in which can be evaluated as to their effect on the result. This establishes a limiting curve in the mass-period plane below which no pulsar that is a neutron star can lie. For example, the minimum possible Kepler period, which is an absolute limit on rotation below which mass shedding would occur, is 0.33 ms for a {ital M}=1.442{ital M}{sub {circle dot}} neutron star (the mass of PSR1913+16). A still lower curve, based only on the structure of Einstein's equations, limits any star whatsoever to lie in the plane above it. Hypothetical stars such as strange stars, if the matter of which they are made is self-bound in bulk at a sufficiently large equilibrium energy density, can lie in the region above the general-relativistic forbidden region, and in the region forbidden to neutron stars.

• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 6950413
• Journal Information: Physical Review, D (Particles Fields); (United States), Vol. 46:10; ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
NEUTRON STARS
ROTATION
BLACK HOLES
CAUSALITY
EINSTEIN FIELD EQUATIONS
ENERGY DENSITY
EQUATIONS OF STATE
GENERAL RELATIVITY THEORY
GRAVITATIONAL INTERACTIONS
MASS
QUARK MATTER
WAVE EQUATIONS
BASIC INTERACTIONS
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS
FIELD EQUATIONS
FIELD THEORIES
INTERACTIONS
MATTER
MOTION
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
STARS
662110* - General Theory of Particles & Fields- Theory of Fields & Strings- (1992-)