1997/01/31 by Grant J. Mathews, G. J. Mathews, J. R. Wilson
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research #astro-ph #gr-qc
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/304166
published as Astrophys.J. 482 (1997) 929-941 · 17 pages, 7 figures
openalex publication_date 1997/06/20 · arxiv created 1998/05/21 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
We analyze several aspects of the recently noted neutron star collapse instability in close binary systems. We utilize (3 + 1) dimensional and spherical numerical general relativistic hydrodynamics to study the origin, evolution, and parametric sensitivity of this instability. We derive the modified conditions of hydrostatic equilibrium for the stars in the curved space of quasi-static orbits. We examine the sensitivity of the instability to the neutron star mass and equation of state. We also estimate limits to the possible interior heating and associated neutrino luminosity that could be generated as the stars gradually compress prior to collapse. We show that the radiative loss in neutrinos from this heating could exceed the power radiated in gravity waves for several hours prior to collapse. The possibility that the radiation neutrinos could produce gamma-ray (or other electromagnetic) burst phenomena is also discussed.