GENERAL RELATIVISTIC BACK REACTION









Physical Scenario:



Because of the complex nature of a binary merger and coalescence, three-dimensional numerical simulations are needed to study the detailed evolution of this type of system. Currently, the relatively unexplored effects of secular instabilities and spin on the inspiral and coalescence waveforms are being studied. Three binary systems consisting of equal mass neutron stars have been created. In all three models, each component star is modeled as a stiff (n=0.5) polytrope. Since a stiff equation of state is assumed, this produces models which approximate uniform rotation but can structurally sustain high rotation rates without equatorial mass shedding. The component stars in each of the models have been given rotation rates of approximately 0.32c, 0.37c and 0.42c, respectively.


These simulations were performed on Sun Ultra Workstation's at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.












This work was supported by the LIGO's Visitor's Program under NSF Cooperative Agreement No. PHY-9603177.











Results:



The results of this study are currently being prepared for publication.





References:

Houser, J.L. 2000, in preparation.