Detectability of continuous gravitational waves from magnetically deformed neutron stars

TL;DR

This paper evaluates the potential to detect continuous gravitational waves emitted by magnetically deformed neutron stars, considering uncertainties in magnetic field configurations and neutron star equations of state.

Contribution

It introduces a method to assess gravitational wave detectability from neutron stars using recent deformation models and realistic astrophysical constraints.

Findings

Detectability depends strongly on magnetic field strength and star deformation.

Most known pulsars are unlikely to be detectable with current detectors.

Certain neutron star configurations could produce detectable signals in future observations.

Abstract

Extremely powerful magnetic fields are contained inside neutron stars. Their effect is to deform the shape of the star, leading to the emission of continuous gravitational waves. The magnetic deformation of neutron stars depends on the details of their magnetic field, that is its geometry and strength. Moreover, it depends on their composition, described by the equation of state. Unfortunately, both the configuration of the magnetic field and the equation of state of neutron stars are unkown, and assessing the detectability of continuous gravitational waves from neutron stars suffers from these uncertainties. Using our recent results relating the magnetic deformation of a neutron star to its mass and radius, and considering the Galactic pulsar population, we assess the detectability of continuous gravitational waves from pulsars in the Galaxy - described by realistic equations of state currently allowed by observational and nuclear physics constraints - by gravitational waves detectors.