Nonlinear r-Modes in Neutron Stars: Instability of an unstable mode
Abstract
We study the dynamical evolution of a large amplitude r-mode by numerical simulations. R-modes in neutron stars are unstable growing modes, driven by gravitational radiation reaction. In these simulations, r-modes of amplitude unity or above are destroyed by a catastrophic decay: A large amplitude r-mode gradually leaks energy into other fluid modes, which in turn act nonlinearly with the r-mode, leading to the onset of the rapid decay. As a result the r-mode suddenly breaks down into a differentially rotating configuration. The catastrophic decay does not appear to be related to shock waves at the star's surface. The limit it imposes on the r-mode amplitude is significantly smaller than that suggested by previous fully nonlinear numerical simulations.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.gr-qc/0301014,
title = {Nonlinear r-Modes in Neutron Stars: Instability of an unstable mode},
author = {Philip Gressman and Lap-Ming Lin and Wai-Mo Suen and N. Stergioulas and John L. Friedman},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:gr-qc/0301014},
year = {2010}
}
Comments
Published in Phys. Rev. D Rapid Comm. 66, 041303(R) (2002)