CONTINUOSLY EMITTED GRAVITATIONAL WAVES IN NUETRON STARS

A recent research shows that a population of neutron stars spins much slower than expected. Professor Sudip Bhattacharyya, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, and Professor Deepto Chakraborty, MIT, USA, has found this. Neutron stars are the densest objects observed in the universe. A handful of stellar material from this star can outweigh an entire mountain on our earth. Though, in size, these stars are no bigger than a city, they are packed more heavily than the sun.

By transferring matter from a normal nearby star, a population of neuron stars can increase its spin rate. It is observed that some of them can spin several hundred times per second around their own axes. Because of the episodic mass transfer, which is phenomenal for many neutron stars, the spin rate should be more than 1000 times per second. But no neutron star with such a high spin rate has been observed.

They figured that this is because of the continuously emitted gravitational waves which slow down their spin rate. This indicates that many fast spinning neuron stars are under the influence of these waves. Such waves can be detected with careful observations. 

Content Source:https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161214115020.htm

Image: https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/page/gw-sources