Decihertz gravitational waves from double white dwarf merger remnants

TL;DR

This paper proposes a new gravitational wave emission mechanism from double white dwarf merger remnants, which could be detectable by planned decihertz GW detectors, expanding understanding of post-merger GW signals.

Contribution

It introduces a novel GW emission mechanism from differentially rotating white dwarf merger remnants and analyzes their potential detectability.

Findings

Unstable inertial modes identified in merger remnants.

Estimated GW strain may be detectable within Virgo cluster.

Remnants exhibit high differential rotation post-merger.

Abstract

Close binaries of double white dwarfs (DWDs) inspiral and merge by emitting gravitational wave (GW). Orbital motion of some of these binaries are expected to be observed at low frequency band by space-borne laser interferometric detectors of GW. The merger remnant may suffer thermonuclear runaway and explode as type Ia supernova if they are massive enough. As GW sources the remnants have so far been scarcely studied. Here we propose a new mechanism of GW emission from DWD merger remnants which may be observed by planned GW detectors in decihertz frequency band. A remnant is temporarily expected to have a high degree of differential rotation as a consequence of merger process. It is then unstable to oscillation modes whose azimuthal pattern speed coincides with the stellar rotation. We solve eigenvalue problem of differentially rotating remnants and identify unstable eigenmodes which may be categorized to inertial modes. The estimate of characteristic strain of GW shows that they may be detectable within the distance of the Virgo cluster by planned gravitational wave observatories targeting the decihertz band.