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Identifying a First-Order Phase Transition in Neutron-Star Mergers through Gravitational Waves
Andreas Bauswein1, Niels-Uwe F Bastian2, David B Blaschke2,3
1GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, Planckstraße 1, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany and Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Schloss-Wolfsbrunnenweg 35, 69118 Heidelberg, Germany.
Abstract:
We identify an observable imprint of a first-order hadron-quark phase transition at supranuclear densities on the gravitational-wave (GW) emission of neutron-star mergers. Specifically, we show that the dominant postmerger GW frequency f_{peak} may exhibit a significant deviation from an empirical relation between f_{peak} and the tidal deformability if a strong first-order phase transition leads to the formation of a gravitationally stable extended quark matter core in the postmerger remnant. A comparison of the GW signatures from a large, representative sample of microphysical, purely hadronic equations of state indicates that this imprint is only observed in those systems which undergo a strong first-order phase transition. Such a shift of the dominant postmerger GW frequency can be revealed by future GW observations, which would provide evidence for the existence of a strong first-order phase transition in the interior of neutron-stars.
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