Sources for Gravitational Wave Astronomy
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Southampton
Department Name: School of Mathematics
Abstract
With the first generation of highly sensitive gravitational wave detectors operating at design sensitivity, this is an exciting time for general relativity and astrophysics. With upgrades to advanced detectors planned and the space based detector LISA due for launch around 2015, we hope to soon be able to use gravitational wave data to learn more about the Universe. With its potential for probing otherwise dark or hidden processes, gravitational wave astronomy promises to change our understanding of, in particular, black holes and neutron stars significantly. The information gleaned will be complementary to that from electromagnetic observations. However, we need to improve our current models of the predicted sources. Better models are needed not only to detect the gravitational waves in the first place, but also to probe as much physics as possible. This research proposal builds on the Southampton General Relativity Group's expertise in black hole, neutron star and gravitational wave astrophysics, and is aimed at developing a deeper understanding of how gravitational waves are emitted by black holes and neutron stars, and how the signals can be used to provide information about the involved physics. The proposed programme is of a highly interconnected nature with four different projects requiring similar methodology (e.g. general relativistic perturbation theory or numerical simulations) and physics input (e.g. superfluidity, magnetic fields or gravitational radiation reaction). The overall aim is to develop significantly improved models for gravitational waves from a range of astrophysical scenarios involving compact objects. Neutron stars are unique astrophysical laboratories, the modelling of which requires much poorly known physics. In order to investigate their properties, one must combine supranuclear physics with magnetohydrodynamics, a description of superfluids and superconductors, potentially exotic phases of matter like a deconfined quark-gluon plasma and, of course, general relativity. Since they can radiate gravitational waves in a variety of ways, achieving a better understanding of neutron star dynamics is one of the key aims of this proposal. To do this we will carry out three parallel projects, focused on neutron star oscillations, rotational dynamics and fully nonlinear simulations to study neutron star birth. The proposed work is not only relevant for gravitational wave physics, it will also provide useful insights into problems relevant for electromagnetic observations. We aim to contruct accurate models of magnetic star pulsations that can be tested against recent observations of oscillations associated with magnetar giant flares. Our studies of rotational effects should shed light on the pulsar glitches, while the nonlinear simulations will lead to a better understanding of the formation of magnetised stars and the gamma-ray burst central engine. Black holes interact with their environment in complex ways. The modelling of this interaction provides a serious challenge. In the proposed research programme we will consider two important problems for black hole physics. We will use nonlinear simulations to study the late stages of gravitational collapse, the birth of a black hole and the dynamics of the debris disk that may surround it. We will also study the problem of radiation reaction driven inspiral of a binary system resulting from gravitational capture in a galaxy core, one of the most interesting sources for LISA. Although these two problems are rather different, they both require accurate modelling of spacetime dynamics. Recent progress on black hole binary simulations provides significant momentum for work in this area, which is ultimately aimed at using gravitational wave data to probe the strongly curved spacetime near a black hole.
Publications
Dolan S
(2014)
Gravitational self-torque and spin precession in compact binaries
in Physical Review D
Dolan S
(2011)
Self-force via m -mode regularization and 2 + 1 D evolution: Foundations and a scalar-field implementation on Schwarzschild spacetime
in Physical Review D
Gabler M
(2009)
Nonlinear radial oscillations of neutron stars
in Physical Review D
Gair J
(2008)
A constrained Metropolis-Hastings search for EMRIs in the Mock LISA Data Challenge 1B
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Garfinkle D
(2008)
Comments on Bona-Massó-type slicing conditions in long-term black hole evolutions
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Glampedakis K
(2011)
Magnetohydrodynamics of superfluid and superconducting neutron star cores MHD of neutron star cores
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Glampedakis K
(2007)
Lagrangian perturbation theory for rotating magnetic stars
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Glampedakis K
(2012)
Hydromagnetic equilibrium in non-barotropic multifluid neutron stars MHD equilibrium in multifluid neutron stars
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Glampedakis K
(2007)
A toy model for global magnetar oscillation Implications for QPOs during magnetar flares
in Astrophysics and Space Science
Glampedakis K
(2011)
Hydromagnetic equilibrium in non-barotropic multifluid neutron stars
Glampedakis K
(2008)
Stability of precessing superfluid neutron stars.
in Physical review letters
Glampedakis K
(2010)
Implications of magnetar non-precession Magnetar non-precession
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Glampedakis K
(2009)
Hydrodynamical trigger mechanism for pulsar glitches.
in Physical review letters
Glampedakis K
(2009)
Do superfluid instabilities prevent neutron star precession?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Gundlach C
(2010)
Universality in the run-up of shock waves to the surface of a star
Gundlach C
(2012)
Critical phenomena at the threshold of immediate merger in binary black hole systems: The extreme mass ratio case
in Physical Review D
Gundlach C
(2009)
Generic behavior of nonlinear sound waves near the surface of a star: Smooth solutions
in Physical Review D
Gundlach C
(2007)
Critical Phenomena in Gravitational Collapse.
in Living reviews in relativity
GUNDLACH C
(2011)
Universality in the run-up of shock waves to the surface of a star
in Journal of Fluid Mechanics
Hannam M
(2010)
Numerical relativity simulations in the era of the Einstein Telescope
in General Relativity and Gravitation
Haskell B
(2009)
Erratum: Modelling magnetically deformed neutron stars
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Haskell B
(2007)
Modelling magnetically deformed neutron stars
Haskell B
(2007)
Are neutron stars with crystalline color-superconducting cores relevant for the LIGO experiment?
in Physical review letters
Haskell B
(2008)
Modelling magnetically deformed neutron stars Modelling magnetically deformed neutron stars
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Haskell B
(2010)
Superfluid hyperon bulk viscosity and the r-mode instability of rotating neutron stars Superfluid hyperon and the r-mode instability
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Haskell B
(2009)
r modes and mutual friction in rapidly rotating superfluid neutron stars
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Heinke C
(2010)
DIRECT OBSERVATION OF THE COOLING OF THE CASSIOPEIA A NEUTRON STAR
in The Astrophysical Journal
Ho WC
(2009)
A neutron star with a carbon atmosphere in the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant.
in Nature
Ho Wynn C. G.
(2008)
MODEL X-RAY SPECTRA OF MAGNETIC NEUTRON STARS WITH HYDROGEN ATMOSPHERES
in ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL SUPPLEMENT SERIES
Isoyama S
(2014)
Gravitational self-force correction to the innermost stable circular equatorial orbit of a Kerr black hole.
in Physical review letters
Jaranowski P
(2008)
Summary of session B3: analytic approximations, perturbation methods and their applications
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Jones D
(2010)
Gravitational wave emission from rotating superfluid neutron stars
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Kojima Y
(2008)
Amplification of azimuthal modes with odd wave numbers during dynamical bar-mode growth in rotating stars
in Physical Review D
Lander S
(2011)
Oscillations and instabilities in neutron stars with poloidal magnetic fields Oscillations and instabilities in NSs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Lander S
(2010)
Instabilities in neutron stars with toroidal magnetic fields Instabilities in NSs with toroidal fields
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Lander S
(2010)
Oscillations of rotating magnetized neutron stars with purely toroidal magnetic fields
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Lander S
(2009)
Magnetic fields in axisymmetric neutron stars
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Lander S
(2010)
Instabilities in neutron stars with toroidal magnetic fields
Le Tiec A
(2011)
Periastron advance in black-hole binaries.
in Physical review letters
Lin L
(2008)
Oscillations of general relativistic multifluid/multilayer compact stars
in Physical Review D
Lopez-Monsalvo C
(2010)
Thermal dynamics in general relativity
in Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences
Markakis C
(2017)
Conservation laws and evolution schemes in geodesic, hydrodynamic, and magnetohydrodynamic flows
in Physical Review D
Markakis C
(2014)
Hamiltonian Hydrodynamics and Irrotational Binary Inspiral
| Description | Postdoctoral fellowship |
| Amount | £159,431 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2009 |
| End | 09/2012 |
| Description | VESF fellowship |
| Amount | £64,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Virgo Ego Scientific Forum |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | Global |
| Start | 04/2010 |
| End | 04/2012 |
| Description | St Petersburg |
| Organisation | Saint Petersburg State Electrotechnical University |
| Department | Ioffe Institute |
| Country | Russian Federation |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Combining our experience with neutron star physics with neutrino emission models developed in St Petersburg |
| Collaborator Contribution | provide neutron star cooling models |
| Impact | Papers by Ho, Yakovlev and others in publication list |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | Royal Society Summer exhibition |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Coordinated gravitational-wave exhibit for summer exhibition in London Led to permanent exhibit in Science Museum. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009 |