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dc.contributor.authorWatts, Anna L.
dc.contributor.authorAndersson, Nils
dc.contributor.authorChakrabarty, Deepto
dc.contributor.authorFeroci, Marco
dc.contributor.authorHebeler, Kai
dc.contributor.authorIsrael, Gianluca
dc.contributor.authorLamb, Frederick K.
dc.contributor.authorMiller, M. Coleman
dc.contributor.authorMorsink, Sharon
dc.contributor.authorÖzel, Feryal
dc.contributor.authorPatruno, Alessandro
dc.contributor.authorPoutanen, Juri
dc.contributor.authorPsaltis, Dimitrios
dc.contributor.authorSchwenk, Achim
dc.contributor.authorSteiner, Andrew W.
dc.contributor.authorStella, Luigi
dc.contributor.authorTolos, Laura
dc.contributor.authorvan der Klis, Michiel
dc.date.accessioned2018-07-20T15:22:58Z
dc.date.available2018-07-20T15:22:58Z
dc.date.issued2016-04
dc.identifier.issn0034-6861
dc.identifier.issn1539-0756
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/117028
dc.description.abstractOne of the primary science goals of the next generation of hard x-ray timing instruments is to determine the equation of state of matter at supranuclear densities inside neutron stars by measuring the radius of neutron stars with different masses to accuracies of a few percent. Three main techniques can be used to achieve this goal. The first involves waveform modeling. The flux observed from a hotspot on the neutron star surface offset from the rotational pole will be modulated by the star's rotation, and this periodic modulation at the spin frequency is called a pulsation. As the photons propagate through the curved spacetime of the star, information about mass and radius is encoded into the shape of the waveform (pulse profile) via special and general-relativistic effects. Using pulsations from known sources (which have hotspots that develop either during thermonuclear bursts or due to channeled accretion) it is possible to obtain tight constraints on mass and radius. The second technique involves characterizing the spin distribution of accreting neutron stars. A large collecting area enables highly sensitive searches for weak or intermittent pulsations (which yield spin) from the many accreting neutron stars whose spin rates are not yet known. The most rapidly rotating stars provide a clean constraint, since the limiting spin rate where the equatorial surface velocity is comparable to the local orbital velocity, at which mass shedding occurs, is a function of mass and radius. However, the overall spin distribution also provides a guide to the torque mechanisms in operation and the moment of inertia, both of which can depend sensitively on dense matter physics. The third technique is to search for quasiperiodic oscillations in x-ray flux associated with global seismic vibrations of magnetars (the most highly magnetized neutron stars), triggered by magnetic explosions. The vibrational frequencies depend on stellar parameters including the dense matter equation of state, and large-area x-ray timing instruments would provide much improved detection capability. An illustration is given of how these complementary x-ray timing techniques can be used to constrain the dense matter equation of state and the results that might be expected from a 10 m2 instrument are discussed. Also discussed are how the results from such a facility would compare to other astronomical investigations of neutron star properties.en_US
dc.publisherAmerican Physical Society (APS)en_US
dc.relation.isversionofhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1103/REVMODPHYS.88.021001en_US
dc.rightsArticle is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.en_US
dc.sourceAPSen_US
dc.titleColloquium: Measuring the neutron star equation of state using x-ray timingen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
dc.identifier.citationWatts, Anna L., et al. “Colloquium : Measuring the Neutron Star Equation of State Using x-Ray Timing.” Reviews of Modern Physics, vol. 88, no. 2, Apr. 2016. © 2016 American Physical Societyen_US
dc.contributor.departmentMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physicsen_US
dc.contributor.departmentMIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Researchen_US
dc.contributor.mitauthorChakrabarty, Deepto
dc.relation.journalReviews of Modern Physicsen_US
dc.eprint.versionFinal published versionen_US
dc.type.urihttp://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticleen_US
eprint.statushttp://purl.org/eprint/status/PeerRevieweden_US
dc.date.updated2018-05-08T14:05:50Z
dspace.orderedauthorsWatts, Anna L.; Andersson, Nils; Chakrabarty, Deepto; Feroci, Marco; Hebeler, Kai; Israel, Gianluca; Lamb, Frederick K.; Miller, M. Coleman; Morsink, Sharon; Özel, Feryal; Patruno, Alessandro; Poutanen, Juri; Psaltis, Dimitrios; Schwenk, Achim; Steiner, Andrew W.; Stella, Luigi; Tolos, Laura; van der Klis, Michielen_US
dspace.embargo.termsNen_US
dc.identifier.orcidhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-8804-8946
mit.licensePUBLISHER_POLICYen_US


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