Gravitational wave signal of the short rise fling of galactic runaway pulsars
Determination of pulsar parallaxes and proper motions addresses fundamental astrophysical open issues. Here, after scrutinizing the ATNF Catalog searching for pulsar distances and proper motions, we verify that for an ATNF sample of 212 galactic runaway pulsars (RAPs), which currently run across the Galaxy at very high speed and undergo large displacements, some gravitational wave (GW) signals produced by such present accelerations appear to be detectable after calibration against the Advanced LIGO (LIGO II). Motivated by this insight, we address the issue of the pulsar kick at birth, or the short rise fling from a supernova explosion, by adapting the theory for emission of GW by ultrarelativistic sources in this case in which the Lorentz factor is {gamma}{approx}1. We show that during the short rise fling each runaway pulsar (RAP) generates a GW signal with characteristic amplitude and frequency that makes it detectable by current GW interferometers. For a realistic analysis, an efficiency parameter is introduced to quantify the expenditure of the rise fling kinetic energy, which is estimated from the linear momentum conservation law applied to the supernova explosion that kicks out the pulsar. The remaining energy is supposed to be used to make the star spin. Thus, a comparison with the spin of ATNF pulsars having velocities in the range 400-500 km s{sup -1} is performed. The resulting difference suggests that other mechanisms (like differential rotation, magnetic breaking or magneto-rotational instability) should dissipate part of that energy to produce the observed pulsar spin periods. Meanwhile, the kick phenomenon may also occur in globular and open star clusters at the formation or disruption of very short period compact binary systems wherein abrupt velocity and acceleration similar to those given to RAPs during the short rise fling can be imparted to each orbital partner. To better analyze these cases, pulsar astrometry from micro-to nano-arcsec scales might be of great help. In the case of a supernova, the RAP GW signal could be a benchmark for the GW signal from the core collapse.
- OSTI ID:
- 22156811
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, Vol. 2008, Issue 11; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1475-7516
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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