Neutron star collapse and gravitational waves with a non-convex equation of state

TL;DR

This paper explores how a non-convex equation of state affects neutron star stability, collapse dynamics, and gravitational wave signatures, revealing potential non-conventional behaviors in high-density astrophysical matter.

Contribution

It demonstrates the impact of a non-convex EoS on neutron star structure, collapse, and gravitational waveforms, highlighting new dynamical phenomena and observational signatures.

Findings

Non-convex EoS induces non-standard collapse dynamics.

Distinct gravitational wave signatures arise from non-convex EoS effects.

Non-convex thermodynamics may influence high-density matter behavior.

Abstract

The thermodynamical properties of the equation of state (EoS) of high-density matter (above nuclear saturation density) and the possible existence of exotic states such as phase transitions from nuclear/hadronic matter into quark-gluon plasma, or the appearance of hyperons, may critically influence the stability and dynamics of compact relativistic stars. From a theoretical point of view, establishing the existence of those states requires the analysis of the `convexity' of the EoS. We show indications of the existence of regions in the dense-matter EoS where the thermodynamics may be non-convex as a result of a non-monotonic dependence of the sound speed with the rest-mass density. When this happens, non-conventional dynamics may develop. In this paper we investigate the effects of a phenomenological, non-convex EoS on the equilibrium structure of stable compact stars and on the dynamics of unstable neutron stars that collapse gravitationally to black holes, both for spherically symmetric and uniformly-rotating configurations. We show how the dynamics of the collapse with a non-convex EoS departs from the convex case, leaving distinctive imprints on the gravitational waveforms. The astrophysical significance of these results for microphysical EoSs is discussed.