Absolute limit on rotation of gravitationally bound stars
The authors 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 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 M = 1.442 M{circle_dot} neutron star (the mass of PSR1913+16). If the limit were found to be broken by any pulsar, it would signal that the confined hadronic phase of ordinary nucleons and nuclei is only metastable, an extraordinary conclusion.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-76SF00098
- OSTI ID:
- 10148321
- Report Number(s):
- LBL-35277; CONF-940182-1; ON: DE94011367; TRN: AHC29411%%60
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Aspen winter conference on astrophysics: millisecond pulsars, a decade of surprises,Aspen, CO (United States),3-7 Jan 1994; Other Information: PBD: Mar 1994
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Neutron stars, strange stars, and the nuclear equation of state
Upper mass limit for neutron stars including differential rotation