Determination of the internal structure of neutron stars from gravitational wave spectra

Abstract

In this paper the internal structure of a neutron star is shown to be inferrable from its gravitational-wave spectrum. Iteratively applying the inverse scheme of the scaled coordinate logarithmic perturbation method for neutron stars proposed by Tsui and Leung [Astrophys. J. {\bf 631}, 495 (2005)], we are able to determine the mass, the radius and the mass distribution of a star from its quasi-normal mode frequencies of stellar pulsation. In addition, accurate equation of state of nuclear matter can be obtained from such inversion scheme. Explicit formulas for the case of axial $w$-mode oscillation are derived here and numerical results for neutron stars characterized by different equations of state are shown.

26 pages, 14 figures, submitted to Physical Review D