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Title: Viscous Dissipation and Heat Conduction in Binary Neutron-Star Mergers

Abstract

Inferring the properties of dense matter is one of the most exciting prospects from the measurement of gravitational waves from neutron star mergers. However, it requires reliable numerical simulations that incorporate viscous dissipation and energy transport as these can play a significant role in the survival time of the post-merger object. We calculate time scales for typical forms of dissipation and find that thermal transport and shear viscosity will not be important unless neutrino trapping occurs, which requires temperatures above 10 MeV and gradients over length scales of 0.1 km or less. On the other hand, if direct-Urca processes remain suppressed, leaving modified-Urca processes to establish flavor equilibrium, then bulk viscous dissipation could provide significant damping to density oscillations right after merger. When comparing with data from state-of-the-art merger simulations, we find that the bulk viscosity takes values close to its resonant maximum in a typical merger, motivating a more careful assessment of the role of bulk viscous dissipation in the gravitational-wave signal from merging neutron stars.

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [3];  [4]
  1. Washington Univ., St. Louis, MO (United States). Physics Dept.
  2. Inst. für Theoretische Physik, Frankfurt (Germany)
  3. Inst. für Theoretische Physik, Frankfurt (Germany); Frankfurt Inst. for Advanced Studies (Germany)
  4. Eberhard Karls Univ. of Tübingen (Germany). Theoretical Astrophysics (IAAT); Istanbul Univ. (Turkey). Dept. of Astronomy and Space Sciences
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Washington Univ., St. Louis, MO (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Nuclear Physics (NP)
OSTI Identifier:
1541273
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1417772
Grant/Contract Number:  
FG02-05ER41375
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Physical Review Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 120; Journal Issue: 4; Journal ID: ISSN 0031-9007
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS

Citation Formats

Alford, Mark G., Bovard, Luke, Hanauske, Matthias, Rezzolla, Luciano, and Schwenzer, Kai. Viscous Dissipation and Heat Conduction in Binary Neutron-Star Mergers. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1103/physrevlett.120.041101.
Alford, Mark G., Bovard, Luke, Hanauske, Matthias, Rezzolla, Luciano, & Schwenzer, Kai. Viscous Dissipation and Heat Conduction in Binary Neutron-Star Mergers. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.120.041101
Alford, Mark G., Bovard, Luke, Hanauske, Matthias, Rezzolla, Luciano, and Schwenzer, Kai. Tue . "Viscous Dissipation and Heat Conduction in Binary Neutron-Star Mergers". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.120.041101. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1541273.
@article{osti_1541273,
title = {Viscous Dissipation and Heat Conduction in Binary Neutron-Star Mergers},
author = {Alford, Mark G. and Bovard, Luke and Hanauske, Matthias and Rezzolla, Luciano and Schwenzer, Kai},
abstractNote = {Inferring the properties of dense matter is one of the most exciting prospects from the measurement of gravitational waves from neutron star mergers. However, it requires reliable numerical simulations that incorporate viscous dissipation and energy transport as these can play a significant role in the survival time of the post-merger object. We calculate time scales for typical forms of dissipation and find that thermal transport and shear viscosity will not be important unless neutrino trapping occurs, which requires temperatures above 10 MeV and gradients over length scales of 0.1 km or less. On the other hand, if direct-Urca processes remain suppressed, leaving modified-Urca processes to establish flavor equilibrium, then bulk viscous dissipation could provide significant damping to density oscillations right after merger. When comparing with data from state-of-the-art merger simulations, we find that the bulk viscosity takes values close to its resonant maximum in a typical merger, motivating a more careful assessment of the role of bulk viscous dissipation in the gravitational-wave signal from merging neutron stars.},
doi = {10.1103/physrevlett.120.041101},
journal = {Physical Review Letters},
number = 4,
volume = 120,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jan 23 00:00:00 EST 2018},
month = {Tue Jan 23 00:00:00 EST 2018}
}

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