8–11 Sept 2026
University of Southampton
Europe/London timezone

Unlocking neutron-star interiors with tidal resonances

Not scheduled
20m
Building 56 (University of Southampton)

Building 56

University of Southampton

Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
CoCoNuT meeting (9-11 Sept)

Speaker

Fabian Gittins (Utrecht University)

Description

Third-generation gravitational-wave observatories will transform our ability to constrain dense nuclear matter by measuring the tide in coalescing neutron-star binaries with unprecedented precision. To date, analyses have focused on the dominant static contribution known as the tidal deformability $\Lambda$. However, the increasing orbital frequency during the inspiral will also excite stellar oscillation modes, which are sensitive seismological probes of the dense interior and offer exciting discovery potential. In this talk, I will present the first fully Bayesian study into whether the imprint of resonantly excited modes on the gravitational-wave signal is detectable by the Einstein Telescope. By simulating one year of observations and analysing the loudest events, I will show that tidal resonances can be identified, and the Einstein Telescope can measure gravitational-wave phase shifts as small as $\Delta \Phi \approx 0.03$. I will also demonstrate that neglecting resonances can bias the inferred tidal deformabilities. These results suggest that tidal resonances may be a measurable route to gravitational-wave asteroseismology with future detectors.

Author

Fabian Gittins (Utrecht University)

Presentation materials

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