Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 2, 2026

Implementation of a Reference Interferometer for Nanodetection
Published on: April 26, 2014
Measuring neutron-star radii with gravitational-wave detectors
Joshua A Faber1, Philippe Grandclément, Frederic A Rasio
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
Researchers developed a simple method to determine the compactness ratio of neutron stars (NS) using gravitational wave (GW) data. This technique aids in constraining the equation of state for dense nuclear matter.
Area of Science:
- Astrophysics
- Gravitational Wave Astronomy
- Nuclear Physics
Background:
- Coalescing binary neutron stars (NS) are significant sources of gravitational waves (GW) for laser interferometer detectors.
- Understanding the equation of state of dense nuclear matter is crucial for nuclear physics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a straightforward method for calculating the compactness ratio (M/R) of neutron stars.
- To enable stronger constraints on the equation of state of dense nuclear matter.
Main Methods:
- Analyzing deviations in the gravitational wave energy spectrum from point-mass behavior during the inspiral phase.
- Utilizing properties of quasiequilibrium binary neutron star sequences.
- Does not require computation of the full gravitational wave signal h(t).
Main Results:
- A simple method for determining the compactness ratio M/R of neutron stars has been developed.
- This method relies on observable deviations in the GW energy spectrum.
Conclusions:
- The determination of M/R, combined with NS mass measurements, will provide stringent constraints on the equation of state for dense nuclear matter.
- This approach offers a new avenue for probing the physics of neutron stars.
More Related Videos
11:27Studying Soft-matter and Biological Systems over a Wide Length-scale from Nanometer and Micrometer Sizes at the Small-angle Neutron Diffractometer KWS-2
Published on: December 8, 2016
07:51Measurements of Soil Carbon by Neutron-Gamma Analysis in Static and Scanning Modes
Published on: August 24, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Newton's Law of Gravitation
Schwarzschild Radius and Event Horizon
The minimum speed required to launch a projectile from the surface of an object to which it is gravitationally bound so that it eventually escapes the object’s gravitational field is called the escape velocity. The escape velocity is independent of the mass of the object. Merging the idea of escape velocity with the...
Detection of Black Holes
Their closest cousins are neutron stars, which are composed almost entirely of neutrons packed against each other, making them extremely dense. A neutron star has the same mass as the Sun but its diameter is only a few kilometers. Therefore, the escape velocity from their surface is close to the speed of light.
Not until the 1960s, when the first neutron...
Space-Time Curvature and the General Theory of Relativity
This has been verified in many experiments. However, space and time are no longer absolute. Two observers moving relative to one another do not agree on the length of objects or the passage of time. The mechanics of objects based on Newton's laws of motion,...
Atomic Nuclei: Larmor Precession Frequency
Gravitation Between Spherically Symmetric Masses