Approximate analytic expressions for circular orbits around rapidly rotating compact stars

TL;DR

This paper derives simple, accurate analytical formulas for the orbital properties of test particles around rapidly rotating compact stars, applicable to various equations of state and rotation rates, validated by numerical models.

Contribution

It introduces approximate analytical expressions for orbital frequency, angular momentum, and energy around rotating stars, valid up to the mass-shedding limit, with high accuracy for neutron stars.

Findings

Analytical formulas match numerical results within 1% for neutron stars.

Formulas are valid for any equation of state and rotation frequency.

Approximate expressions are less accurate for quark stars.

Abstract

We calculate stationary configurations of rapidly rotating compact stars in general relativity, to study the properties of circular orbits of test particles in the equatorial plane. We search for simple, but precise, analytical formulae for the orbital frequency, specific angular momentum and binding energy of a test particle, valid for any equation of state and for any rotation frequency of the rigidly rotating compact star, up to the mass-shedding limit. Numerical calculations are performed using precise 2-D codes based on multi-domain spectral methods. Models of rigidly rotating neutron stars and the space-time outside them are calculated for several equations of state of dense matter. Calculations are also performed for quark stars consisting of self-bound quark matter. At the mass-shedding limit, the rotational frequency converges to a Schwarzschildian orbital frequency at the equator. We show that orbital frequency for any orbit outside equator is also approximated by a Schwarzschildian formula. Using a simple approximation for the frame-dragging term, we obtain approximate expressions for the specific angular momentum and specific energy on the corotating circular orbits in the equatorial plane of neutron star, which are valid down to the stellar equator. The formulae recover reference numerical values with typically 1% of accuracy for neutron stars with M > 0.5 M_sun. They are less precise for quark stars consisting of self-bound quark matter.