Relic of quadrupole deformation produced in a hot neutron star era

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Kojima, Yasufumi, Dohi, Akira, Kisaka, Shota, Fujisawa, Kotaro
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Kojima, Yasufumi
Dohi, Akira
Kisaka, Shota
Fujisawa, Kotaro
author_facet Kojima, Yasufumi
Dohi, Akira
Kisaka, Shota
Fujisawa, Kotaro
contents A newly born neutron star is expected to exhibit significant deviations from spherical symmetry, which decay with time. Determining how much deformation remains at present is crucial for gravitational-wave astronomy. This study is the first investigation into the evolution of quadrupole deformation during the solid crust formation phase to obtain a plausible value at present. The equilibrium structure before solidification is modeled using a fluid description, and the deformation is introduced through an assumed driving force. As the star cools, this force weakens, leading to a gradual decay of the deformation. Eventually, the deformation vanishes in the fluid region but partially remains in the crust, sustained by elastic forces, after solidification. By comparing the equilibrium models before and after solidification, we estimate the residual ellipticity and demonstrate that the spatial profile of the elastic shear is imprinted in the crust. The relic ellipticity is only a few percent of the original value, with its absolute magnitude depending on the deformation mechanism during the hot era, which cannot be specified owing to the lack of elaborate models. This work provides a first step toward linking early neutron star deformation with future gravitational-wave observations.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2601_13550
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Relic of quadrupole deformation produced in a hot neutron star era
Kojima, Yasufumi
Dohi, Akira
Kisaka, Shota
Fujisawa, Kotaro
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
A newly born neutron star is expected to exhibit significant deviations from spherical symmetry, which decay with time. Determining how much deformation remains at present is crucial for gravitational-wave astronomy. This study is the first investigation into the evolution of quadrupole deformation during the solid crust formation phase to obtain a plausible value at present. The equilibrium structure before solidification is modeled using a fluid description, and the deformation is introduced through an assumed driving force. As the star cools, this force weakens, leading to a gradual decay of the deformation. Eventually, the deformation vanishes in the fluid region but partially remains in the crust, sustained by elastic forces, after solidification. By comparing the equilibrium models before and after solidification, we estimate the residual ellipticity and demonstrate that the spatial profile of the elastic shear is imprinted in the crust. The relic ellipticity is only a few percent of the original value, with its absolute magnitude depending on the deformation mechanism during the hot era, which cannot be specified owing to the lack of elaborate models. This work provides a first step toward linking early neutron star deformation with future gravitational-wave observations.
title Relic of quadrupole deformation produced in a hot neutron star era
topic General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.13550