Work

Constraining the nuclear equation of state from orbits of primordial black holes inside neutron stars

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Lacking terrestrial experimental data, our best constraints on the behavior of matter at high densities up to and above nuclear density arise from observations of neutron stars. Current constraints include those based on measurements of stellar masses, radii, and tidal deformabilities. Here we explore how orbits of primordial black holes---should they exist---inside neutron stars could provide complementary constraints on the nuclear equation of state (EOS). Specifically, we consider a sample of candidate EOSs, construct neutron star models for these EOSs, and compute orbits of primordial black holes inside these stars. We discuss how the pericenter advance of eccentric orbits, i.e. orbital precession, results in beat phenomena in the emitted gravitational wave signal. Observing this beat frequency could constrain the nuclear EOS and break possible degeneracies arising from other contraints, as well as provide information about the host star.

Source: Physical review. D/Physical review. D.

DOI: 10.1103/physrevd.110.064066

Authors: Anna Chen, Juan Diego DelPrado, Thomas W. Baumgarte, Stuart L. Shapiro

Institutions: Bowdoin College, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Language: English

Topic: Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research

Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Science Foundation, Bowdoin College, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Awards: G4458505638, G4783930775, G7805315571, RUI: WoU-MMA: Studies in Numerical Relativity