Methods for Estimating Neutron Star Parameters using Multiple Mechanisms for Gravitational Wave Emission Associated with Pulsar Glitches

TL;DR

This paper develops a framework combining models for continuous and burst gravitational wave emissions from pulsar glitches, enhancing astrophysical constraints and applying it to the Vela pulsar glitch with no detected signals.

Contribution

It introduces a method to jointly analyze multiple GW emission mechanisms from pulsar glitches, improving the potential for astrophysical insights beyond single-model approaches.

Findings

No GW burst detected from the Vela glitch.

Framework provides more constraining limits on GW emission.

Future detectors will significantly improve sensitivity.

Abstract

Several mechanisms for gravitational wave (GW) emission are believed to be associated with pulsar glitches. This emission may be split between long duration continuous waves and short duration bursts. In the Advanced LIGO era, searches for GWs associated with pulsar glitches have only considered continuous wave emission. The increasing sensitivity of the detectors and the prospects for future detectors suggest that astrophysically motivated analyses involving multiple mechanisms may be possible. Here, we present a framework for combining two simple models for GW emission - long duration continuous waves and short duration bursts - to derive more constraining astrophysical implications than a single model would allow. The best limits arise from using models that predict a specific amount of GW emission; however, there are relatively few models that make such predictions. We apply these methods to the December 2016 Vela pulsar glitch and make predictions for how well future observing runs and detectors would improve results. As part of this analysis, we performed a targeted search for GW bursts associated with this glitch and find no signal.