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Title: Discriminating strange star mergers from neutron star mergers by gravitational-wave measurements

Abstract

We perform three-dimensional relativistic hydrodynamical simulations of the coalescence of strange stars and explore the possibility to decide on the strange matter hypothesis by means of gravitational-wave measurements. Self-binding of strange quark matter and the generally more compact stars yield features that clearly distinguish strange star from neutron star mergers, e.g. hampering tidal disruption during the plunge of quark stars. Furthermore, instead of forming dilute halo structures around the remnant as in the case of neutron star mergers, the coalescence of strange stars results in a differentially rotating hypermassive object with a sharp surface layer surrounded by a geometrically thin, clumpy high-density strange quark matter disk. We also investigate the importance of including nonzero temperature equations of state in neutron star and strange star merger simulations. In both cases we find a crucial sensitivity of the dynamics and outcome of the coalescence to thermal effects, e.g. the outer remnant structure and the delay time of the dense remnant core to black hole collapse depend on the inclusion of nonzero temperature effects. For comparing and classifying the gravitational-wave signals, we use a number of characteristic quantities like the maximum frequency during inspiral or the dominant frequency of oscillations of the postmergermore » remnant. In general, these frequencies are higher for strange star mergers. Only for particular choices of the equation of state the frequencies of neutron star and strange star mergers are similar. In such cases additional features of the gravitational-wave luminosity spectrum like the ratio of energy emitted during the inspiral phase to the energy radiated away in the postmerger stage may help to discriminate coalescence events of the different types. If such characteristic quantities could be extracted from gravitational-wave signals, for instance with the upcoming gravitational-wave detectors, a decision on the strange matter hypothesis and the existence of strange stars should be possible.« less

Authors:
; ;  [1]
  1. Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astrophysik, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 1, D-85748 Garching (Germany)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
21409076
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Physical Review. D, Particles Fields
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 81; Journal Issue: 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.81.024012; (c) 2010 The American Physical Society; Journal ID: ISSN 0556-2821
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; BLACK HOLES; COALESCENCE; DENSITY; EQUATIONS OF STATE; GRAVITATIONAL WAVE DETECTORS; GRAVITATIONAL WAVES; HYPOTHESIS; LUMINOSITY; NEUTRON STARS; OSCILLATIONS; RELATIVISTIC RANGE; S QUARKS; SENSITIVITY; SIMULATION; SPECTRA; SURFACES; THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS; TIME DELAY; ELEMENTARY PARTICLES; ENERGY RANGE; EQUATIONS; FERMIONS; MEASURING INSTRUMENTS; OPTICAL PROPERTIES; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; QUARKS; RADIATION DETECTORS; STARS; STRANGE PARTICLES

Citation Formats

Bauswein, A, Oechslin, R, and Janka, H -T. Discriminating strange star mergers from neutron star mergers by gravitational-wave measurements. United States: N. p., 2010. Web. doi:10.1103/PHYSREVD.81.024012.
Bauswein, A, Oechslin, R, & Janka, H -T. Discriminating strange star mergers from neutron star mergers by gravitational-wave measurements. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVD.81.024012
Bauswein, A, Oechslin, R, and Janka, H -T. 2010. "Discriminating strange star mergers from neutron star mergers by gravitational-wave measurements". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVD.81.024012.
@article{osti_21409076,
title = {Discriminating strange star mergers from neutron star mergers by gravitational-wave measurements},
author = {Bauswein, A and Oechslin, R and Janka, H -T},
abstractNote = {We perform three-dimensional relativistic hydrodynamical simulations of the coalescence of strange stars and explore the possibility to decide on the strange matter hypothesis by means of gravitational-wave measurements. Self-binding of strange quark matter and the generally more compact stars yield features that clearly distinguish strange star from neutron star mergers, e.g. hampering tidal disruption during the plunge of quark stars. Furthermore, instead of forming dilute halo structures around the remnant as in the case of neutron star mergers, the coalescence of strange stars results in a differentially rotating hypermassive object with a sharp surface layer surrounded by a geometrically thin, clumpy high-density strange quark matter disk. We also investigate the importance of including nonzero temperature equations of state in neutron star and strange star merger simulations. In both cases we find a crucial sensitivity of the dynamics and outcome of the coalescence to thermal effects, e.g. the outer remnant structure and the delay time of the dense remnant core to black hole collapse depend on the inclusion of nonzero temperature effects. For comparing and classifying the gravitational-wave signals, we use a number of characteristic quantities like the maximum frequency during inspiral or the dominant frequency of oscillations of the postmerger remnant. In general, these frequencies are higher for strange star mergers. Only for particular choices of the equation of state the frequencies of neutron star and strange star mergers are similar. In such cases additional features of the gravitational-wave luminosity spectrum like the ratio of energy emitted during the inspiral phase to the energy radiated away in the postmerger stage may help to discriminate coalescence events of the different types. If such characteristic quantities could be extracted from gravitational-wave signals, for instance with the upcoming gravitational-wave detectors, a decision on the strange matter hypothesis and the existence of strange stars should be possible.},
doi = {10.1103/PHYSREVD.81.024012},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21409076}, journal = {Physical Review. D, Particles Fields},
issn = {0556-2821},
number = 2,
volume = 81,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jan 15 00:00:00 EST 2010},
month = {Fri Jan 15 00:00:00 EST 2010}
}