Sco X-1 as a continuous gravitational waves source: modelling the secular evolution using MESA

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Main Authors: Pagliaro, Gianluca, Papa, Maria Alessandra, Ming, Jing, Misra, Devina
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Pagliaro, Gianluca
Papa, Maria Alessandra
Ming, Jing
Misra, Devina
author_facet Pagliaro, Gianluca
Papa, Maria Alessandra
Ming, Jing
Misra, Devina
contents We study the prospects for detecting continuous gravitational waves (GWs) from Sco X-1 and evaluate the most likely waveform and progenitor parameters. We model the spin of the neutron star by the accretion torque and the gravitational-wave torque, considering two mechanisms for generating the non-axisymmetry responsible for the latter: magnetic mountains and crustal breakage deformation. Both torques are intertwined with the binary evolution, which we trace from the formation of the NS in a binary system with a main-sequence companion. We do this with MESA, starting from a set of initial binary configurations. At current sensitivity, a magnetic ellipticity of $\varepsilon\gtrsim 10^{-6}$ is necessary for detection. The highest frequency at which we have detectable signals increases with the accretion efficiency $η$, and it can be as high as 360Hz. At 3G (Cosmic Explorer/Einstein telescope) sensitivity, less deformed Sco X-1 NSs, with ellipticities as small as $6\cdot 10^{-9}$, are detectable, but the waveform highly depends on the binary system: the highest frequency of detectable signals spans the very broad range 600-1700Hz, strongly depending on $η$ and mass of the progenitor donor star $M^d$. If $η\leq$30%, the crust does not break. For $η\in$[40%,60%] only progenitors with $M^d\geq[1.1,1.5]M_{\odot}$ present crustal breakage, while if $η\geq$70% all crusts break. In some systems, the crust breaks during their Sco X-1 phase. If Sco X-1 were one of those systems, it would be emitting a very loud GW signal sweeping from O(1000)Hz down to torque-balance frequencies in $\approx 150000[\varepsilon /10^{-5}]^{-2/5}$ years. We estimate the current detection probability for this signal to be under 1%; this probability increases substantially - to around 41% - with 3G detectors.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2510_21529
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Sco X-1 as a continuous gravitational waves source: modelling the secular evolution using MESA
Pagliaro, Gianluca
Papa, Maria Alessandra
Ming, Jing
Misra, Devina
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
We study the prospects for detecting continuous gravitational waves (GWs) from Sco X-1 and evaluate the most likely waveform and progenitor parameters. We model the spin of the neutron star by the accretion torque and the gravitational-wave torque, considering two mechanisms for generating the non-axisymmetry responsible for the latter: magnetic mountains and crustal breakage deformation. Both torques are intertwined with the binary evolution, which we trace from the formation of the NS in a binary system with a main-sequence companion. We do this with MESA, starting from a set of initial binary configurations. At current sensitivity, a magnetic ellipticity of $\varepsilon\gtrsim 10^{-6}$ is necessary for detection. The highest frequency at which we have detectable signals increases with the accretion efficiency $η$, and it can be as high as 360Hz. At 3G (Cosmic Explorer/Einstein telescope) sensitivity, less deformed Sco X-1 NSs, with ellipticities as small as $6\cdot 10^{-9}$, are detectable, but the waveform highly depends on the binary system: the highest frequency of detectable signals spans the very broad range 600-1700Hz, strongly depending on $η$ and mass of the progenitor donor star $M^d$. If $η\leq$30%, the crust does not break. For $η\in$[40%,60%] only progenitors with $M^d\geq[1.1,1.5]M_{\odot}$ present crustal breakage, while if $η\geq$70% all crusts break. In some systems, the crust breaks during their Sco X-1 phase. If Sco X-1 were one of those systems, it would be emitting a very loud GW signal sweeping from O(1000)Hz down to torque-balance frequencies in $\approx 150000[\varepsilon /10^{-5}]^{-2/5}$ years. We estimate the current detection probability for this signal to be under 1%; this probability increases substantially - to around 41% - with 3G detectors.
title Sco X-1 as a continuous gravitational waves source: modelling the secular evolution using MESA
topic High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.21529