Parameter estimation for strong phase transitions in supranuclear matter using gravitational-wave astronomy
- At supranuclear densities, explored in the core of neutron stars, a strong phase transition from hadronic matter to more exotic forms of matter might be present. To test this hypothesis, binary neutron-star mergers offer a unique possibility to probe matter at densities that we cannot create in any existing terrestrial experiment. In this work, we show that, if present, strong phase transitions can have a measurable imprint on the binary neutron-star coalescence and the emitted gravitational-wave signal. We construct a new parametrization of the supranuclear equation of state that allows us to test for the existence of a strong phase transition and extract its characteristic properties purely from the gravitational-wave signal of the inspiraling neutron stars. We test our approach using a Bayesian inference study simulating 600 signals with three different equations of state and find that for current gravitational-wave detector networks already 12 events might be sufficient to verify the presence of a strong phase transition. Finally,At supranuclear densities, explored in the core of neutron stars, a strong phase transition from hadronic matter to more exotic forms of matter might be present. To test this hypothesis, binary neutron-star mergers offer a unique possibility to probe matter at densities that we cannot create in any existing terrestrial experiment. In this work, we show that, if present, strong phase transitions can have a measurable imprint on the binary neutron-star coalescence and the emitted gravitational-wave signal. We construct a new parametrization of the supranuclear equation of state that allows us to test for the existence of a strong phase transition and extract its characteristic properties purely from the gravitational-wave signal of the inspiraling neutron stars. We test our approach using a Bayesian inference study simulating 600 signals with three different equations of state and find that for current gravitational-wave detector networks already 12 events might be sufficient to verify the presence of a strong phase transition. Finally, we use our methodology to analyze GW170817 and GW190425 but do not find any indication that a strong phase transition is present at densities probed during the inspiral.…
Author details: | Peter Tsun Ho PangORCiD, Tim DietrichORCiDGND, Ingo TewsORCiDGND, Chris Van Den Broeck |
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DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.2.033514 |
ISSN: | 2643-1564 |
Title of parent work (English): | Physical review research |
Publisher: | American Physical Society |
Place of publishing: | College Park |
Publication type: | Article |
Language: | English |
Date of first publication: | 2020/09/29 |
Publication year: | 2020 |
Release date: | 2022/10/10 |
Volume: | 2 |
Issue: | 3 |
Article number: | 033514 |
Number of pages: | 17 |
Funding institution: | Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO)Netherlands; Organization for Scientific Research (NWO); U.S. Department of Energy,; Office of Science, Office of Nuclear PhysicsUnited States Department of; Energy (DOE) [DE-AC52-06NA25396]; NUCLEI SciDAC program; LDRD program at; LANL; National Science FoundationNational Science Foundation (NSF); [PHY-0757058, PHY-0823459]; U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear; Security AdministrationNational Nuclear Security AdministrationUnited; States Department of Energy (DOE) [89233218CNA000001]; U.S. Department; of Energy, Office of ScienceUnited States Department of Energy (DOE); [DE-AC02-05CH11231]; U.S. National Science FoundationNational Science; Foundation (NSF); Italian Istituto Nazionale della Fisica Nucleare; (INFN) |
Organizational units: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Physik und Astronomie |
DDC classification: | 5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 52 Astronomie / 520 Astronomie und zugeordnete Wissenschaften |
Peer review: | Referiert |
Publishing method: | Open Access / Gold Open-Access |
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License (German): | CC-BY - Namensnennung 4.0 International |