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Postmerger Gravitational-Wave Signatures of Phase Transitions in Binary Mergers
Lukas R Weih1, Matthias Hanauske1,2, Luciano Rezzolla1,3
1Institut für Theoretische Physik, Max-von-Laue-Straße 1, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany.
Physical Review Letters
|May 16, 2020
Summary
Gravitational wave signals from neutron star mergers may reveal a phase transition to quark matter. A novel "delayed phase transition" signature, marked by two distinct gravitational wave frequencies, offers a clear way to detect quark matter.
Area of Science:
- Astrophysics
- Nuclear Physics
- Gravitational Wave Astronomy
Background:
- The detection of gravitational waves (GWs) from binary neutron star mergers, like GW170817, offers a unique probe into the equation of state of matter at extreme densities.
- Neutron star mergers are theorized to be sites where a phase transition (PT) from hadronic matter to deconfined quark matter can occur.
- Previous studies explored GW signatures of PTs, but experimental verification remains challenging due to limited post-merger signal data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize a novel gravitational wave signature associated with a phase transition during neutron star mergers.
- To investigate the possibility of a
- delayed phase transition
- occurring after the initial merger event.
- To provide a distinct observational signature for the production of quark matter in the universe.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing fully general-relativistic hydrodynamic simulations to model binary neutron star mergers.
- Employing a specifically designed equation of state that incorporates a phase transition.
- Analyzing the resulting post-merger gravitational wave signals for characteristic frequency changes.
Main Results:
- The simulations reveal a
- delayed phase transition
- scenario where a metastable hypermassive hybrid star with a quark-matter core is formed.
- This delayed PT results in a post-merger GW signal exhibiting two distinct fundamental frequencies, one before and one after the transition.
- This two-frequency signature is predicted to be the strongest and cleanest observable indicator of quark matter formation.
Conclusions:
- A delayed phase transition in neutron star mergers produces a unique and robust gravitational wave signature.
- This signature, characterized by a distinct shift in GW frequencies, provides a promising avenue for experimentally confirming the existence of quark matter.
- The findings enhance our understanding of extreme matter physics and the astrophysical processes governing neutron star mergers.
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