Dynamical neutron-star tides: The signature of a mode resonance

TL;DR

This paper investigates how individual neutron star oscillation modes influence gravitational-wave signals during binary inspirals, providing a new approximation to model these resonances for improved waveform accuracy.

Contribution

It introduces a novel closed-form approximation for mode resonances, enhancing the modeling of neutron star tidal effects in gravitational-wave signals.

Findings

Resonant modes significantly affect tidal deformability.

The new approximation accurately captures resonance phenomenology.

Results aid in developing precise gravitational-wave waveform models.

Abstract

Motivated by future opportunities in gravitational-wave astronomy and the ongoing effort to constrain physics under extreme conditions, we consider the signature of individual mode resonances excited during the inspiral of binary systems involving neutron stars. Specifically, we quantify how each resonant mode contributes to the effective (frequency-dependent) tidal deformability. The resonant solution is shown to be accurately represented by a new closed-form approximation, which sheds light on the involved phenomenology, and which should be useful for the development of precise waveform models and future parameter extraction efforts.