Interface modes in inspiralling neutron stars: A gravitational-wave probe of first-order phase transitions
Interface modes in inspiralling neutron stars: A gravitational-wave probe of first-order phase transitions
At the extreme densities in neutron stars, a phase transition to deconfined quark matter is anticipated. Yet masses, radii, and tidal deformabilities offer only indirect measures of a first-order phase transition, requiring many detections to resolve or being ineffective observables if the discontinuity exists at lower densities. We report on a smoking-gun gravitational-wave signature of a first-order transition: the resonant tidal excitation of an interface mode. Using relativistic perturbation theory with an equation-of-state family informed by chiral effective field theory, we show that such a resonance may be detectable with next-generation interferometers and possibly already with LIGO A+ for sufficiently loud events.
81402
Counsell, Rhys
fd22c224-70e7-4c23-a425-05b76f3b2be4
Gittins, Fabian
657ec875-fac3-4606-9dcd-591ef22fc9f6
Andersson, Nils
2dd6d1ee-cefd-478a-b1ac-e6feedafe304
Tews, Ingo
fe01bb98-c587-4114-8dbe-7434ff6d574c
20 August 2025
Counsell, Rhys
fd22c224-70e7-4c23-a425-05b76f3b2be4
Gittins, Fabian
657ec875-fac3-4606-9dcd-591ef22fc9f6
Andersson, Nils
2dd6d1ee-cefd-478a-b1ac-e6feedafe304
Tews, Ingo
fe01bb98-c587-4114-8dbe-7434ff6d574c
Counsell, Rhys, Gittins, Fabian, Andersson, Nils and Tews, Ingo
(2025)
Interface modes in inspiralling neutron stars: A gravitational-wave probe of first-order phase transitions.
Physical Review Letters, 135 (081402), , [081402].
(doi:10.1103/8hvq-6dy7).
Abstract
At the extreme densities in neutron stars, a phase transition to deconfined quark matter is anticipated. Yet masses, radii, and tidal deformabilities offer only indirect measures of a first-order phase transition, requiring many detections to resolve or being ineffective observables if the discontinuity exists at lower densities. We report on a smoking-gun gravitational-wave signature of a first-order transition: the resonant tidal excitation of an interface mode. Using relativistic perturbation theory with an equation-of-state family informed by chiral effective field theory, we show that such a resonance may be detectable with next-generation interferometers and possibly already with LIGO A+ for sufficiently loud events.
Text
InterFaceModes
- Accepted Manuscript
Text
8hvq-6dy7
- Version of Record
Restricted to Repository staff only
Request a copy
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 9 July 2025
e-pub ahead of print date: 20 August 2025
Published date: 20 August 2025
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 506417
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/506417
ISSN: 1079-7114
PURE UUID: 19bb5c85-738d-4469-9f94-37e0577cd5bd
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 06 Nov 2025 17:47
Last modified: 11 Dec 2025 03:02
Export record
Altmetrics
Contributors
Author:
Fabian Gittins
Author:
Ingo Tews
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics