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, in the next decade, we expect to soon be able to use gravitational wave data to learn more about the Universe. Given 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 themes 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, relevant astrophysical scenarios and fully nonlinear simulations of neutron star dynamics. 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 help improve our models of neutron star mergers and proto-neutron star evolution. Inspiralling binaries are intrinsically the strongest sources of gravitational waves in the Universe. In particular, there are exciting prospects for LISA to detect the radiative inspiral of compact objects into massive black holes in galactic centres. Gravitational waveforms from such events are extremely efficient probes of the strong gravity near the massive black hole, and promise to allow accurate tests of gravitational theory in its most extreme domain. In order to realise this promise we need a good theoretical understanding of relativistic radiation-reaction effects. Recent progress on the problem of the gravitational self-force provides significant momentum for work in this area. In this project we will continue to explore the science of these fascinating sources.
Organisations
Publications
Andersson N
(2009)
Variational multi-fluid dynamics and causal heat conductivity
in Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences
Lopez-Monsalvo C
(2010)
Thermal Dynamics in General Relativity
Sidery T
(2010)
The dynamics of pulsar glitches: contrasting phenomenology with numerical evolutions
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
Andersson N
(2010)
Gravitational waves from neutron stars: promises and challenges
in General Relativity and Gravitation
Ott C
(2010)
New open-source approaches to the modeling of stellar collapse and the formation of black holes
in Astrophysics and Space Science
Oliveira E
(2010)
Absorption of planar waves in a draining bathtub
in Physical Review D
Abbott B
(2010)
SEARCHES FOR GRAVITATIONAL WAVES FROM KNOWN PULSARS WITH SCIENCE RUN 5 LIGO DATA
in The Astrophysical Journal
Hannam M
(2010)
Numerical relativity simulations in the era of the Einstein Telescope
in General Relativity and Gravitation
Dolan S
(2010)
Quasinormal modes and Regge poles of the canonical acoustic hole
in Physical Review D
Andersson N
(2010)
Trying to catch the wave
in Nature Physics
Heinke C
(2010)
DIRECT OBSERVATION OF THE COOLING OF THE CASSIOPEIA A NEUTRON STAR
in The Astrophysical Journal
Punturo M
(2010)
The third generation of gravitational wave observatories and their science reach
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Barack L
(2010)
Precession effect of the gravitational self-force in a Schwarzschild spacetime and the effective one-body formalism
in Physical Review D
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
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
Warburton N
(2010)
Self-force on a scalar charge in Kerr spacetime: Circular equatorial orbits
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
Abadie J
(2010)
FIRST SEARCH FOR GRAVITATIONAL WAVES FROM THE YOUNGEST KNOWN NEUTRON STAR
in The Astrophysical Journal
Barack L
(2010)
Gravitational self-force on a particle in eccentric orbit around a Schwarzschild black hole
in Physical Review D
Punturo M
(2010)
The Einstein Telescope: a third-generation gravitational wave observatory
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Glampedakis K
(2010)
Implications of magnetar non-precession Magnetar non-precession
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Dolan S
(2010)
Quasinormal mode spectrum of a Kerr black hole in the eikonal limit
in Physical Review D
Andersson N
(2010)
r-modes in low temperature color-flavor-locked superconducting quark stars
in Physical Review D
Abadie J
(2011)
Search for gravitational waves associated with the August 2006 timing glitch of the Vela pulsar
in Physical Review D
Andersson N
(2011)
A consistent first-order model for relativistic heat flow
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Dolan S
(2011)
Wave propagation and quasinormal mode excitation on Schwarzschild spacetime
in Physical Review D
Andersson N
(2011)
The road to gravitational-wave astronomy
in Progress in Particle and Nuclear Physics
Jones D
(2011)
Pulsar state switching, timing noise and free precession
Hild S
(2011)
Sensitivity studies for third-generation gravitational wave observatories
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Dolan S
(2011)
Aharonov-Bohm effect in a draining bathtub vortex
in Physics Letters B
Barack L
(2011)
Beyond the geodesic approximation: Conservative effects of the gravitational self-force in eccentric orbits around a Schwarzschild black hole
in Physical Review D
Kaplan D
(2011)
NEW OPTICAL/ULTRAVIOLET COUNTERPARTS AND THE SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTIONS OF NEARBY, THERMALLY EMITTING, ISOLATED NEUTRON STARS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Glampedakis K
(2011)
Magnetohydrodynamics of superfluid and superconducting neutron star cores MHD of neutron star cores
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Ho W
(2011)
Superfluid effects on gauging core temperatures of neutron stars in low-mass X-ray binaries Superfluidity and NS core temperatures
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Ho W
(2011)
COSMIC RECYCLING OF MILLISECOND PULSARS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Warburton N
(2011)
Self-force on a scalar charge in Kerr spacetime: Eccentric equatorial orbits
in Physical Review D
Penner A
(2011)
Tidal deformations of neutron stars: The role of stratification and elasticity
in Physical Review D
Akcay S
(2011)
The Kerr-de Sitter universe
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Ho W
(2011)
Evolution of a buried magnetic field in the central compact object neutron stars Magnetic field evolution in CCOs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Akcay S
(2011)
Fast frequency-domain algorithm for gravitational self-force: Circular orbits in Schwarzschild spacetime
in Physical Review D
Ott CD
(2011)
Dynamics and gravitational wave signature of collapsar formation.
in Physical review letters
Yakovlev D
(2011)
Cooling rates of neutron stars and the young neutron star in the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant Young Cas A neutron star
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Vickers J
(2011)
Double null hamiltonian dynamics and the gravitational degrees of freedom
in General Relativity and Gravitation
Andersson N
(2011)
Lagrangian perturbation theory for a superfluid immersed in an elastic neutron star crust Lagrangian perturbations of neutron stars
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
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
GUNDLACH C
(2011)
Universality in the run-up of shock waves to the surface of a star
in Journal of Fluid Mechanics
Andersson N
(2011)
A consistent first-order model for relativistic heat flow
Description | Improved understanding of the extreme physics associated with neutron stars. |
Exploitation Route | Work impacts on plans for future electromagnetic and gravitational-wave observations. |
Sectors | Education |
Description | Postdoctoral fellowship |
Amount | $90,000 (CAD) |
Organisation | Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | Canada |
Start | 10/2011 |
End | 09/2013 |