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At least 1,063 records · Page 59

A Census of the Taurus Star-forming Region and Neighboring Associations with Gaia*

I have used high-precision photometry and astrometry from the third data release of Gaia to perform a survey for members of the Taurus star-forming region and young associations in its vicinity. This work has produced a new catalog of 532 adopted members of Taurus, which has only minor changes relative to the previous catalog from Esplin & Luhman. I have used the Gaia astrometry to divide the Taurus members into 13 groups that have distinct kinematics. Meanwhile, I have identified 1378 candidate members of seven associations near Taurus. All of these associations have histograms of spectral types that peak near M5 (~0.15 M ⊙ ), resembling other young populations in the solar neighborhood. For the Taurus groups and neighboring associations, I have estimated ages from their sequences of low-mass stars in Hertzsprung–Russell diagrams. Most of the Taurus groups have median ages of ~1–3 Myr, while the associations have ages ranging from 13 to 56 Myr. I have used mid-infrared photometry from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer to search for excess emission from circumstellar disks among the candidate members of the associations. Disks are detected for 51 stars, 20 of which are reported for the first time in this work. Some recent studies have proposed that samples of older stars (≳10 Myr) found in the vicinity of Taurus represent a distributed population that is associated with the Taurus cloud complex. However, I find that most of those stars have kinematics that are inconsistent with any relationship with Taurus.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Image Deconvolution and Point-spread Function Reconstruction with STARRED: A Wavelet-based Two-channel Method Optimized for Light-curve Extraction

We present starred, a point-spread function (PSF) reconstruction, two-channel deconvolution, and light-curve extraction method designed for high-precision photometric measurements in imaging time series. An improved resolution of the data is targeted rather than an infinite one, thereby minimizing deconvolution artifacts. In addition, starred performs a joint deconvolution of all available data, accounting for epoch-to-epoch variations of the PSF and decomposing the resulting deconvolved image into a point source and an extended source channel. The output is a high-signal-to-noise-ratio, high-resolution frame combining all data and the photometry of all point sources in the field of view as a function of time. Of note, starred also provides exquisite PSF models for each data frame. We showcase three applications of starred in the context of the imminent LSST survey and of JWST imaging: (i) the extraction of supernovae light curves and the scene representation of their host galaxy; (ii) the extraction of lensed quasar light curves for time-delay cosmography; and (iii) the measurement of the spectral energy distribution of globular clusters in the "Sparkler," a galaxy at redshift z = 1.378 strongly lensed by the galaxy cluster SMACS J0723.3-7327. starred is implemented in jax, leveraging automatic differentiation and graphics processing unit acceleration. This enables the rapid processing of large time-domain data sets, positioning the method as a powerful tool for extracting light curves from the multitude of lensed or unlensed variable and transient objects in the Rubin-LSST data, even when blended with intervening objects.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

On the Minimum Radius of Very Massive Neutron Stars

Prospects of establishing the radii of massive neutron stars in PSR J1614 – 2230 and PSR J0740 + 6620 from Neutron Star Interior Composition ExploreR and Chandra observatories hold the potential to constrain the equation of state (EoS) of matter to densities well beyond those encountered in canonical stars of mass $\sim 1.4\,{M}_{\odot }$. In this work, we investigate the relation between the radii of very massive neutron stars up to the maximum mass, ${M}_{\max }$, supported by dense matter EoSs. Results from models with hadronic matter are contrasted with those that include a first-order hadron-to-quark phase transition. We find that a lower bound on ${M}_{\max }$ with an upper bound on the radius of massive pulsars serves to rule out quark matter that is too soft, and an upper bound on ${M}_{\max }$ with a lower bound on the radius of massive pulsars strongly disfavors a transition into quark matter that is too stiff appearing at low densities. In conclusion, the complementary role played by radius inferences from future gravitational-wave events of inspiraling binary neutron stars is also briefly discussed.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The breakBRD Breakdown: Using IllustrisTNG to Track the Quenching of an Observationally Motivated Sample of Centrally Star-forming Galaxies

The observed breakBRD ("break bulges in red disks") galaxies are a nearby sample of face-on disk galaxies with particularly centrally concentrated star formation: they have red disks but recent star formation in their centers as measured by the D n 4000 spectral index. In this paper, we search for breakBRD analogs in the IllustrisTNG simulation and describe their history and future. We find that a small fraction (~4% at z = 0; ~1% at z = 0.5) of galaxies fulfill the breakBRD criteria, in agreement with observations. In comparison with the mass-weighted parent IllustrisTNG sample, these galaxies tend to consist of a higher fraction of satellite and splashback galaxies. However, the central, non-splashback breakBRD galaxies show similar environments, black hole masses, and merger rates, indicating that there is not a single formation trigger for inner star formation and outer quenching. We determine that breakBRD analog galaxies as a whole are in the process of quenching. The breakBRD state, with its highly centrally concentrated star formation, is uncommon in the history of either currently quiescent or star-forming galaxies; however, approximately 10% of 10 < M*/M⊙ < 10 11 quiescent galaxies at z = 0 have experienced SFR concentrations comparable to those of the breakBRDs in their past. Additionally, the breakBRD state is short lived, lasting a few hundred Myr up to ~2 Gyr. The observed breakBRD galaxies may therefore be a unique sample of outside-in quenching galaxies.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗

Eridanus II: A Fossil from Reionization with an Off-center Star Cluster

In this work, we present deep Hubble Space Telescope (HST) photometry of the ultra-faint dwarf galaxy Eridanus II (Eri II). Eri II, which has an absolute magnitude of M V = -7.1, is located at a distance of 339 kpc, just beyond the virial radius of the Milky Way. We determine the star formation history of Eri II and measure the structure of the galaxy and its star cluster. We find that a star formation history consisting of two bursts, constrained to match the spectroscopic metallicity distribution of the galaxy, accurately describes the Eri II stellar population. The best-fit model implies a rapid truncation of star formation at early times, with >80% of the stellar mass in place before z ~ 6. A small fraction of the stars could be as young as 8 Gyr, but this population is not statistically significant; Monte Carlo simulations recover a component younger than 9 Gyr only 15% of the time, where they represent an average of 7 ± 4% of the population. These results are consistent with theoretical expectations for quenching by reionization. The HST depth and angular resolution enable us to show that Eri II’s cluster is offset from the center of the galaxy by a projected distance of 23 ± 3 pc. This offset could be an indication of a small (~50–75 pc) dark matter core in Eri II. Moreover, we demonstrate that the cluster has a high ellipticity of and is aligned with the orientation of Eri II within 3° ± 6°, likely due to tides. The stellar population of the cluster is indistinguishable from that of Eri II itself.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Contribution of Gaia Sausage to the Galactic Stellar Halo Revealed by K Giants and Blue Horizontal Branch Stars from the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope, Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and Gaia

We explore the contribution of the Gaia Sausage to the stellar halo of the Milky Way by making use of a Gaussian mixture model (GMM) and applying it to halo star samples of Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope K giants, Sloan Extension for Galactic Understanding and Exploration K giants, and Sloan Digital Sky Survey blue horizontal branch stars. The GMM divides the stellar halo into two parts, of which one represents a more metal-rich and highly radially biased component associated with an ancient, head-on collision referred to as the Gaia Sausage, and the other one is a more metal-poor and isotropic halo. A symmetric bimodal Gaussian is used to describe the distribution of spherical velocity of the Gaia Sausage, and we find that the mean absolute radial velocity of the two lobes decreases with the Galactocentric radius. We find that the Gaia Sausage contributes about 41%–74% of the inner (Galactocentric radius r gc < 30 kpc) stellar halo. The fraction of stars of the Gaia Sausage starts to decline beyond r gc ~ 25–30 kpc, and the outer halo is found to be significantly less influenced by the Gaia Sausage than the inner halo. After the removal of halo substructures found by integrals of motion, the contribution of the Gaia Sausage falls slightly within r gc ~ 25 kpc but is still as high as 30%–63%. Finally, we select several possible Sausage-related substructures consisting of stars on highly eccentric orbits. The GMM/Sausage component agrees well with the selected substructure stars in their chemodynamical properties, which increases our confidence in the reliability of the GMM fits.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

SDSS-IV MaNGA: Understanding Ionized Gas Turbulence Using Integral Field Spectroscopy of 4500 Star-forming Disk Galaxies

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey MaNGA program has now obtained integral field spectroscopy for over 10,000 galaxies in the nearby universe. We use the final MaNGA data release DR17 to study the correlation between ionized gas velocity dispersion and galactic star formation rate, finding a tight correlation in which σ Hα from galactic H ιι regions increases significantly from ~18–30 km s –1 , broadly in keeping with previous studies. In contrast, σ Hα from diffuse ionized gas increases more rapidly from 20–60 km s –1 . Using the statistical power of MaNGA, we investigate these correlations in greater detail using multiple emission lines and determine that the observed correlation of σ Hα with local star formation rate surface density is driven primarily by the global relation of increasing velocity dispersion at higher total star formation rate, as are apparent correlations with stellar mass. Assuming H ιι region models consistent with our finding that σ [O III] < σ Hα < σ [O I] , we estimate the velocity dispersion of the molecular gas in which the individual H ιι regions are embedded, finding values σ Mol = 5–30 km s –1 consistent with ALMA observations in a similar mass range. Finally, we use variations in the relation with inclination and disk azimuthal angle to constrain the velocity dispersion ellipsoid of the ionized gas σ z /σ r = 0.84 ± 0.03 and σ Φ /σ r = 0.91 ± 0.03, similar to that of young stars in the Galactic disk. Our results are most consistent with the theoretical models in which turbulence in modern galactic disks is driven primarily by star formation feedback.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Dissecting Nearby Galaxies with piXedfit. II. Spatially Resolved Scaling Relations among Stars, Dust, and Gas

We study spatially resolved scaling relations among stars, dust, and gas in ten nearby spiral galaxies. In a preceding paper, we have derived spatially resolved properties of the stellar population and dust by a panchromatic spectral energy distribution fitting using piXedfit. Now, we investigate resolved star formation (${{\rm{\Sigma }}}_{{{\rm{H}}}_{2}}$–ΣSFR–Σ * ) and dust scaling relations. While the relations with all subgalactic regions of the galaxies are reasonably tight (σ ≲ 0.3 dex), we find that most of the scaling relations exhibit galaxy-to-galaxy variations in normalization and shape. Only two relations of Σdust–Σgas and Σdust–${{\rm{\Sigma }}}_{{{\rm{H}}}_{2}}$ do not show noticeable galaxy-to-galaxy variations among our sample galaxies. We further investigate the correlations among the scaling relations. We find significant correlations among the normalization of the ${{\rm{\Sigma }}}_{{{\rm{H}}}_{2}}$–ΣSFR–Σ * relations, which suggest that the galaxies with higher levels of resolved H 2 fraction (${f}_{{{\rm{H}}}_{2}}$) tend to have higher levels of resolved star formation efficiency (SFE) and specific star formation rate (sSFR). We also observe that the galaxies with higher levels of resolved dust-to-stellar mass ratios tend to have higher levels of resolved sSFR, SFE, and ${f}_{{{\rm{H}}}_{2}}$. Moreover, we find that the galaxies with higher global sSFR and less compact morphology tend to have higher levels of the resolved sSFR, SFE, and ${f}_{{{\rm{H}}}_{2}}$, which can explain the variations in the normalization of the ${{\rm{\Sigma }}}_{{{\rm{H}}}_{2}}$–ΣSFR–Σ * relationships. Overall, we observe indications of the contributions of both global and local factors in governing the star formation process in galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Possibilities and Limitations of Kinematically Identifying Stars from Accreted Ultra-faint Dwarf Galaxies

Abstract The Milky Way has accreted many ultra-faint dwarf galaxies (UFDs), and stars from these galaxies can be found throughout our Galaxy today. Studying these stars provides insight into galaxy formation and early chemical enrichment, but identifying them is difficult. Clustering stellar dynamics in 4D phase space ( E , L z , J r , J z ) is one method of identifying accreted structure that is currently being utilized in the search for accreted UFDs. We produce 32 simulated stellar halos using particle tagging with the Caterpillar simulation suite and thoroughly test the abilities of different clustering algorithms to recover tidally disrupted UFD remnants. We perform over 10,000 clustering runs, testing seven clustering algorithms, roughly twenty hyperparameter choices per algorithm, and six different types of data sets each with up to 32 simulated samples. Of the seven algorithms, HDBSCAN most consistently balances UFD recovery rates and cluster realness rates. We find that, even in highly idealized cases, the vast majority of clusters found by clustering algorithms do not correspond to real accreted UFD remnants and we can generally only recover 6% of UFDs remnants at best. These results focus exclusively on groups of stars from UFDs, which have weak dynamic signatures compared to the background of other stars. The recoverable UFD remnants are those that accreted recently, z accretion ≲ 0.5. Based on these results, we make recommendations to help guide the search for dynamically linked clusters of UFD stars in observational data. We find that real clusters generally have higher median energy and J r , providing a way to help identify real versus fake clusters. We also recommend incorporating chemical tagging as a way to improve clustering results.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Beyond Galaxy Bimodality: The Complex Interplay between Kinematic Morphology and Star Formation in the Local Universe

It is generally assumed that galaxies are a bimodal population in both star formation and structure; star-forming galaxies are disks, while passive galaxies host large bulges or are entirely spheroidal. Here we test this scenario by presenting a full census of the kinematic morphologies of a volume-limited sample of galaxies in the local universe extracted from the MaNGA galaxy survey. We measure the integrated stellar line-of-sight velocity to velocity dispersion ratio (V/σ) for 4574 galaxies in the stellar mass range 9.75 < logM $\star$ [M ⊙ ] < 11.75. We show that at fixed stellar mass, the distribution of V/σ is not bimodal, and that a simple separation between fast and slow rotators is oversimplistic. Fast rotators are a mixture of at least two populations, referred to here as dynamically cold disks and intermediate systems, with disks dominating in both total stellar mass and number. When considering star-forming and passive galaxies separately, the star-forming population is almost entirely made up of disks, while the passive population is mixed, implying an array of quenching mechanisms. Passive disks represent ~30% (both in number and mass) of passive galaxies, nearly a factor of two higher than that of slow rotators, reiterating that these are an important population for understanding galaxy quenching. These results paint a picture of a local universe dominated by disky galaxies, most of which become somewhat less rotation-supported upon or after quenching. While spheroids are present to a degree, they are certainly not the evolutionary end point for the majority of galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Searching for Conformity Across Cosmic Time with Local Group and Local Volume Star Formation Histories

Conformity denotes the correlation of properties between pairs of galaxies as a function of separation. Correlations between properties such as the star formation rate (SFR), stellar mass, and specific star formation rate (sSFR) have implications for the impact of environment upon galaxy formation and evolution. Conformity between primary galaxies and satellites within the same dark matter halo has been well documented in simulations and observations. However, the existence of conformity at greater distances—known as two-halo conformity—remains uncertain. We investigate whether galaxies in the Local Volume to a distance of 4 Mpc show conformity by examining the SFR, sSFR, stellar mass, and quenched fraction as a function of physical separation. Making use of the star formation histories of these galaxies, we then extend this analysis back in time to offer the first probe of conformity inside our past light cone. At the present day, we find that the stellar mass or sSFR of a galaxy correlates with the median SFR of neighboring galaxies at a separation of 2–3 Mpc. At a lookback time of 1 Gyr, we find a correlation with the quenched fraction of neighboring galaxies, again at a 2–3 Mpc separation. These signals of conformity likely arise from the differences between the recent star formation histories of Local Group dwarf galaxies and those outside the Local Group. As current and future missions including JWST, Rubin, and Roman expand the sample of Local Volume galaxies, tests of conformity using star formation histories will provide an important tool for exploring spatiotemporal correlations between galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Chemodynamical Analysis of Metal-rich High-eccentricity Stars in the Milky Way's Disk

We present a chemodynamical analysis of 11,562 metal-rich, high-eccentricity halo-like main-sequence stars, which have been referred to as the Splash or Splashed Disk, selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope. When divided into two groups, a low-[α/Fe] population (LAP) and a high-[α/Fe] population (HAP), based on kinematics and chemistry, we find that they exhibit very distinct properties, indicative of different origins. From a detailed analysis of their orbital inclinations, we suggest that the HAP arises from a large fraction (~90%) of heated disk stars and a small fraction (~10%) of in situ stars from a starburst population, likely induced by interaction of the Milky Way with the Gaia-Sausage/Enceladus (GSE) or another early merger. The LAP comprises about half accreted stars from the GSE and half formed by the GSE-induced starburst. Our findings further imply that the Splash stars in our sample originated from at least three different mechanisms: accretion, disk heating, and a merger-induced starburst.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

A Theory for Neutron Star and Black Hole Kicks and Induced Spins

Abstract Using 20 long-term 3D core-collapse supernova simulations, we find that lower compactness progenitors that explode quasi-spherically due to the short delay to explosion experience smaller neutron star recoil kicks in the ∼100−200 km s −1 range, while higher compactness progenitors that explode later and more aspherically leave neutron stars with kicks in the ∼300−1000 km s −1 range. In addition, we find that these two classes are correlated with the gravitational mass of the neutron star. This correlation suggests that the survival of binary neutron star systems may in part be due to their lower kick speeds. We also find a correlation between the kick and both the mass dipole of the ejecta and the explosion energy. Furthermore, one channel of black hole birth leaves masses of ∼10 M ⊙ , is not accompanied by a neutrino-driven explosion, and experiences small kicks. A second channel is through a vigorous explosion that leaves behind a black hole with a mass of ∼3.0 M ⊙ kicked to high speeds. We find that the induced spins of nascent neutron stars range from seconds to ∼10 ms, but do not yet see a significant spin/kick correlation for pulsars. We suggest that if an initial spin biases the explosion direction, a spin/kick correlation would be a common byproduct of the neutrino mechanism of core-collapse supernovae. Finally, the induced spin in explosive black hole formation is likely large and in the collapsar range. This new 3D model suite provides a greatly expanded perspective and appears to explain some observed pulsar properties by default.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗

Can Neutron Star Tidal Effects Obscure Deviations from General Relativity?

Abstract One of the main goals of gravitational-wave astrophysics is to study gravity in the strong-field regime and constrain deviations from general relativity (GR). Any such deviation affects not only binary dynamics and gravitational-wave emission but also the structure and tidal properties of compact objects. In the case of neutron stars, masses, radii, and tidal deformabilities can all differ significantly between different theories of gravity. Currently, the measurement uncertainties in neutron star radii and tidal deformabilities are quite large. However, much less is known about how the large uncertainty in the nuclear equation of state (EOS) might affect tests of GR using binary neutron star mergers. Conversely, using the wrong theory of gravity might lead to incorrect constraints on the nuclear EOS. Here, we study this problem within scalar–tensor (ST) theory. We apply the recently derived ℓ = 2 tidal Love numbers in this theory to parameter estimation of GW170817. Correspondingly, we test if physics beyond GR could bias measurements of the nuclear EOS and neutron star radii. We find that parameter inference for both the GR and ST cases returns consistent component masses and tidal deformabilities. The radius and the EOS posteriors, however, differ between the two theories, but neither is excluded by current observational limits. This indicates that measurements of the nuclear EOS may be biased and that deviations from GR could go undetected when analyzing current binary neutron star mergers.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

First Measurement of 87 Rb( α , xn ) Cross Sections at Weak r -process Energies in Supernova ν -driven Ejecta to Investigate Elemental Abundances in Low-metallicity Stars

Observed abundances of Z ∼ 40 elements in metal-poor stars vary from star to star, indicating that the rapid and slow neutron capture processes may not contribute alone to the synthesis of elements beyond iron. The weak r-process was proposed to produce Z ∼ 40 elements in a subset of old stars. Thought to occur in the ν-driven ejecta of a core-collapse supernova, ( α, xn ) reactions would drive the nuclear flow toward heavier masses at T = 2−5 GK. However, current comparisons between modeled and observed yields do not bring satisfactory insights into the stellar environment, mainly due to the uncertainties of the nuclear physics inputs where the dispersion in a given reaction rate often exceeds 1 order of magnitude. Involved rates are calculated with the statistical model where the choice of an α -optical-model potential ( α OMP) leads to such a poor precision. The first experiment on 87 Rb( α, xn ) reactions at weak r -process energies is reported here. Total inclusive cross sections were assessed at E c.m. = 8.1−13 MeV (3.7−7.6 GK) with the active target MUlti-Sampling Ionization Chamber. With an N = 50 seed nucleus, the measured values agree with statistical model estimates using the α OMP Atomki-V2. A reevaluated reaction rate was incorporated into new nucleosynthesis calculations, focusing on ν-driven ejecta conditions known to be sensitive to this specific rate. These conditions were found to fail to reproduce the lighter heavy element abundances in metal-poor stars.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

H I Gas and Star Formation in Major Galaxy Pairs from the FAST All Sky H I Survey (FASHI)

Atomic hydrogen (H I ) plays a fundamental role in fueling star formation in galaxies. However, the behavior of H I gas in interacting systems, particularly galaxy pairs, remains elusive. In this work, we investigate the H I content of major mergers by crossmatching the extragalactic H I catalog from the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) All-Sky H I Survey with a previously established sample of isolated galaxy pairs. With the superior sensitivity of FAST, we have constructed the largest sample of major mergers with H I detections, consisting of 440 galaxy pairs: 364 spiral-spiral (S+S) and 76 spiral-elliptical (S+E) systems. We examine the H I gas fraction (f H I ), star formation rate (SFR), and H I star formation efficiency (SFE H I = SFR/M H I ) for individual galaxies in pairs. The control sample is matched in both stellar mass and redshift. We find that paired galaxies, particularly those in pairs with small projected separations (d p < 50 h −1 kpc), exhibit systematically lower (by 8.8%) H I gas fractions compared to the control galaxies. The SFR is enhanced for galaxies in the S+S pairs. The SFE H I is ∼15% higher for galaxies in the S+S pairs than in the control galaxies, while spiral galaxies in the S+E pairs show no significant difference in SFE H I compared to the control sample. These findings suggest that the merger process triggers efficient H I gas depletion and enhances star formation, especially in close S+S pairs. Notably, our sample includes 26 red spirals in paired systems. These galaxies exhibit H I deficiency and suppressed star formation activity compared to the isolated galaxies, indicating that interactions may affect quiescent spirals differently, potentially due to mechanisms similar to those of ellipticals.

Yan, Shulan 淑澜鄢 [Xiamen University (China); SDSS C↗

Compact Steep Spectrum Radio Sources with Enhanced Star Formation Are Smaller Than 10 kpc

Compact steep spectrum (CSS) radio sources are active galactic nuclei (AGN) that have radio jets propagating only on galactic scales, defined as having projected linear size (LS) of up to 20 kpc. CSS sources are generally hosted by massive early-type galaxies with little ongoing star formation; however, a small fraction are known to have enhanced star formation. Using archival data from the Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty cm survey, the Very Large Array Sky Survey, and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we identify a volume-limited sample of 166 CSS sources at z < 0.2 with L 1.4 GHz > 10 24 W Hz -1 . Comparing the star formation rates and linear sizes of these CSS sources, we find that the ≈14% of CSS sources with specific star formation rates above 0.01 Gyr -1 all have LS < 10 kpc. We discuss the possible mechanisms driving this result, concluding that it is likely the excess star formation in these sources occurred in multiple bursts and ceased prior to the AGN jet being triggered.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Limiting Rotation Rate of Neutron Stars from Crust Breaking and Gravitational Waves

Abstract Neutron stars are not observed to spin faster than about half their breakup rate. This limiting rotational frequency may be related to the strength of their crusts. As a star spins up from accretion, centrifugal forces stress the crust. We perform finite-element simulations of rotating neutron stars and find that the crust fails at rotation rates about half the breakup rate. Given uncertainties in microphysics, we have not determined the crust configuration after this failure. Instead, we argue that the crust may fail in an asymmetric way and could produce a configuration with a significant ellipticity (fractional difference in moments of inertia). If the ellipticity is large, a rotating star will radiate gravitational waves that may limit further spin-up. These stars may be promising sources for LIGO/VIRGO and next-generation gravitational-wave detectors.

Morales, J. A.↗