Neutron star pulse profile observations as extreme gravity probes

Hector O. Silva; Nicolás Yunes

doi:10.1088/1361-6382/ab3560

Neutron star pulse profile observations as extreme gravity probes

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The x-ray emission of hot spots on the surface of neutron stars is the prime target of the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER). These x-ray pulse profiles not only encode information of the bulk properties of these stars, which teaches us about matter at supranuclear densities, but also about the spacetime curvature around them which teaches us about relativistic gravity. We explore the possibility of performing strong-gravity tests with NICER observations using a recently developed pulse profile model beyond general relativity. Our results suggest that NICER can in principle place constraints on deviations from general relativity due to an additional scalar degree of freedom which are independent and competitive relative to constraints with binary pulsar observations.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	17LT01
Journal	Classical and Quantum Gravity
Volume	36
Issue number	17
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6382/ab3560
State	Published - Aug 8 2019
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

experimental relativity
neutron stars
scalar-Tensor gravity

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)

Online availability

10.1088/1361-6382/ab3560

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title = "Neutron star pulse profile observations as extreme gravity probes",

abstract = "The x-ray emission of hot spots on the surface of neutron stars is the prime target of the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER). These x-ray pulse profiles not only encode information of the bulk properties of these stars, which teaches us about matter at supranuclear densities, but also about the spacetime curvature around them which teaches us about relativistic gravity. We explore the possibility of performing strong-gravity tests with NICER observations using a recently developed pulse profile model beyond general relativity. Our results suggest that NICER can in principle place constraints on deviations from general relativity due to an additional scalar degree of freedom which are independent and competitive relative to constraints with binary pulsar observations.",

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year = "2019",

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doi = "10.1088/1361-6382/ab3560",

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T1 - Neutron star pulse profile observations as extreme gravity probes

AU - Silva, Hector O.

AU - Yunes, Nicolás

PY - 2019/8/8

Y1 - 2019/8/8

N2 - The x-ray emission of hot spots on the surface of neutron stars is the prime target of the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER). These x-ray pulse profiles not only encode information of the bulk properties of these stars, which teaches us about matter at supranuclear densities, but also about the spacetime curvature around them which teaches us about relativistic gravity. We explore the possibility of performing strong-gravity tests with NICER observations using a recently developed pulse profile model beyond general relativity. Our results suggest that NICER can in principle place constraints on deviations from general relativity due to an additional scalar degree of freedom which are independent and competitive relative to constraints with binary pulsar observations.

AB - The x-ray emission of hot spots on the surface of neutron stars is the prime target of the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER). These x-ray pulse profiles not only encode information of the bulk properties of these stars, which teaches us about matter at supranuclear densities, but also about the spacetime curvature around them which teaches us about relativistic gravity. We explore the possibility of performing strong-gravity tests with NICER observations using a recently developed pulse profile model beyond general relativity. Our results suggest that NICER can in principle place constraints on deviations from general relativity due to an additional scalar degree of freedom which are independent and competitive relative to constraints with binary pulsar observations.

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KW - neutron stars

KW - scalar-Tensor gravity

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Neutron star pulse profile observations as extreme gravity probes

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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