We investigate the nonlinear behaviour of the dynamically unstable rotating star for the bar mode by three-dimensional hydrodynamics in Newtonian gravity. We find that an oscillation along the rotation axis is induced throughout the growth of the unstable bar mode, and that its characteristic frequency is twice as that of the bar mode, which oscillates mainly along the equatorial plane. A possibility to observe Faraday resonance in gravitational waves is demonstrated and discussed.
The equations describing nonradial adiabatic oscillations of differentially rotating relativistic stars are derived in relativistic slow rotation approximation. The differentially rotating configuration is described by a perturbative version of the relativistic j-constant rotation law. Focusing on the oscillation properties of the stellar fluid, the adiabatic nonradial perturbations are studied in the Cowling approximation with a system of five partial differential equations. In these equations, differential rotation introduces new coupling terms between the perturbative quantites with respect…
It is usually believed that the Cowling approximation can give satisfactory solutions if the stars %are highly compressible have soft equations of state and/or if the strongly general relativistic stars are treated in the case of rigid rotation. Since, however, there have been no systematic studies about the accuracy of the Cowling approximation for differentially rotating compressible stars, we investigate eigenfrequencies and eigenfunctions of the oscillation modes in {\it rapidly} and {\it differentially} rotating compressible stars by employing the exact method including full-perturbations…
We construct relativistic equilibrium models of differentially rotating neutron stars and show that they can support significantly more mass than their nonrotating or uniformly rotating counterparts. We dynamically evolve such ``hypermassive'' models in full general relativity and show that there do exist configurations which are dynamically stable against radial collapse and bar formation. Our results suggest that the remnant of binary neutron star coalescence may be temporarily stabilized by differential rotation, leading to delayed collapse and a delayed gravitational wave burst.
Non-axisymmetric oscillations of differentially rotating stars are studied using both slow rotation and Cowling approximation. The equilibrium stellar models are relativistic polytropes where differential rotation is described by the relativistic j-constant rotation law. The oscillation spectrum is studied versus three main parameters: the stellar compactness $M/R$, the degree of differential rotation $A$ and the number of maximun couplings $\ell_{\rm max}$. It is shown that the rotational splitting of the non-axisymmetric modes is strongly enhached by increasing the compactness of the star an…
An understanding of the dynamics of differentially rotating systems is key to many areas of astrophysics. We investigate the oscillations of a simple system exhibiting differential rotation, and discuss issues concerning the role of corotation points and the emergence of dynamical instabilities. This problem is of particular relevance to the emission of gravitational waves from oscillating neutron stars, which are expected to possess significant differential rotation immediately after birth or binary merger.
We study the dynamical instability against bar-mode deformation of differentially rotating stars. We performed numerical simulation and linear perturbation analysis adopting polytropic equations of state with the polytropic index $n=1$. It is found that rotating stars of a high degree of differential rotation are dynamically unstable even for the ratio of the kinetic energy to the gravitational potential energy of $O(0.01)$. Gravitational waves from the final nonaxisymmetric quasistationary states are calculated in the quadrupole formula. For rotating stars of mass $1.4M_{\odot}$ and radius se…
We show that, at first order in the angular velocity, the general relativistic description of Rossby-Haurwitz waves (the analogues of r-waves on a thin shell) can be obtained from the corresponding Newtonian one after a coordinate transformation. As an application, we show that the results recently obtained by Rezzolla and Yoshida (2001) in the analysis of Newtonian Rossby-Haurwitz waves of a slowly and differentially rotating, fluid shell apply also in General Relativity, at first order in the angular velocity.
A self-consistent field method is developed, which can be used to construct models of differentially rotating stars to first post-Newtonian order. The rotation law is specified by the specific angular momentum distribution j(m), where m is the baryonic mass fraction inside the surface of constant specific angular momentum. The method is then used to compute models of the nascent neutron stars resulting from the accretion induced collapse of white dwarfs. The result shows that the ratios of kinetic energy to gravitational binding energy of the relativistic models are slightly smaller than the c…
For the analysis of the r-mode oscillation of hot young neutron stars, it is necessary to consider the effect of it differential rotation, because viscosity is not strong enough for differentially rotating young neutron stars to be lead to uniformly rotating configurations on a very short time scale after their birth. In this paper, we have developed a numerical scheme to solve r-mode oscillations of differentially rotating polytropic inviscid stars. This is the extended version of the method which was applied to compute r-mode oscillations of uniformly rotating Newtonian polytropic stars. By …
Thermal emission from a rotating, supermassive star will cause the configuration to contract slowly and spin up. If internal viscosity and magnetic fields are sufficiently weak, the contracting star will rotate differentially. For each of the six initial angular momentum distributions considered, a cooling supermassive star will likely encounter the dynamical bar mode instability, which may trigger the growth of nonaxisymmetric bars. This scenario will lead to the generation of long wavelength gravitational waves, which could be detectable by future space-based laser interferometers like LISA.
Recent numerical simulations indicate the presence of dynamical instabilities of the f-mode in differentially rotating stars even at very low values of $T/|W|$, the ratio of kinetic to potential energy. In this Letter we argue that these may be shear instabilities which occur when the degree of differential rotation exceeds a critical value and the f-mode develops a corotation point associated with the presence of a continuous spectrum. Our explanation, which is supported by detailed studies of a simple shell model, offers a straightforward way of understanding all of the key features of these…
Recent studies have raised doubts about the occurrence of r modes in Newtonian stars with a large degree of differential rotation. To assess the validity of this conjecture we have solved the eigenvalue problem for Rossby-Haurwitz waves (the analogues of r waves on a thin-shell) in the presence of differential rotation. The results obtained indicate that the eigenvalue problem is never singular and that, at least for the case of a thin-shell, the analogues of r modes can be found for arbitrarily large degrees of differential rotation. This work clarifies the puzzling results obtained in calcul…
We investigate the gravitational collapse of rapidly rotating relativistic supermassive stars by means of a 3+1 hydrodynamical simulations in conformally flat spacetime of general relativity. We study the evolution of differentially rotating supermassive stars of $q \equiv J/M^{2} \sim 1$ ($J$ is the angular momentum and $M$ is the gravitational mass of the star) from the onset of radial instability at $R/M \sim 65$ ($R$ is the circumferential radius of the star) to the point where the conformally flat approximation breaks down. We find that the collapse of the star of $q \gtrsim 1$, a radiall…
We have studied the $f$-mode oscillations of differentially rotating polytropes by making use of the linear stability analysis. We found that the critical values of $T/|W|$ where the dynamical instability against the $m = 2$ $f$-mode oscillations sets in decrease down to $T/|W| \sim 0.20$ as the degree of differential rotation becomes higher. Here $m$ is an azimuthal mode number and $T$ and $W$ are the rotational energy and the gravitational potential energy, respectively. This tendency is almost independent of the compressibility of the polytropes. These are the {\it first exact results} of t…
We study the effects of magnetic fields on the evolution of differentially rotating neutron stars, which can form in stellar core collapse or binary neutron star coalescence. Magnetic braking and the magnetorotational instability (MRI) both redistribute angular momentum; the outcome of the evolution depends on the star's mass and spin. Simulations are carried out in axisymmetry using our recently developed codes which integrate the coupled Einstein-Maxwell-MHD equations. For initial data, we consider three categories of differentially rotating, equilibrium configurations, which we label normal…
We investigate the dynamical one-armed spiral instability in differentially rotating stars with both eigenmode analysis and hydrodynamic simulations in Newtonian gravity. We find that the one-armed spiral mode is generated around the corotation radius of the star, and the distribution of angular momentum shifts inwards the corotation radius during the growth of one-armed spiral mode. We also find by investigating the distribution of the canonical angular momentum density that the low T/|W| dynamical instability for both m=1 and m=2 mode, where T is the rotational kinetic energy and W is the gr…
We have computed the eigenfrequencies of f-modes for a constant-rest-mass sequences of rapidly rotating relativistic inviscid stars in differential rotation. The frequencies have been calculated neglecting the metric perturbations (the relativistic Cowling approximation) and expressed as a function of the ratio between the rotational kinetic energy and the absolute value of the gravitational energy of the stellar model beta=T/|W|. The zeros and the end-points of these sequences mark respectively the onset of the secular instability driven by gravitational radiation-reaction and the maximum val…
An understanding of the oscillations of differentially rotating systems is key to many areas of astrophysics. It is of particular relevance to the emission of gravitational waves from oscillating neutron stars, which are expected to possess significant differential rotation immediately after birth or binary merger. In a previous paper we analysed the normal modes of a simple system exhibiting differential rotation. In this complementary paper we address the initial value problem for the same simple model using both analytical methods and numerical time evolutions. We derive a necessary and suf…
We study small-amplitude, nonlinear pulsations of uniformly and differentially rotating neutron stars employing a two-dimensional evolution code for general-relativistic hydrodynamics. Using Fourier transforms at several points inside the star, both the eigenfrequencies and two-dimensional eigenfunctions of pulsations are extracted. The centrifugal forces and the degree of differential rotation have significant effects on the mode-eigenfunction. We find that near the mass-shedding limit, the pulsations are damped due to shocks forming at the surface of the star. This new damping mechanism may …
Approximate analytical formula for density distribution in differentially rotating stars is derived. Any barotropic EOS and conservative rotation law can be handled with use of this method for wide range of differential rotation strength. Results are in good qualitative agreement with comparison to the other methods. Some applications are suggested and possible improvements of the formula are discussed.
We evaluate the generation of magnetosonic waves in differentially rotating magnetized plasma. Differential rotation leads to an increase of the azimuthal field by winding up the poloidal field lines into the toroidal field lines. An amplification of weak seed perturbations is considered in this time-dependent background state. It is shown that seed perturbations can be amplified by several orders of magnitude in a differentially rotating flow. The only necessary condition for this amplification is the presence of a non-vanishing component of the magnetic field in the direction of the angular …
We present long-term (~10^4 M) axisymmetric simulations of differentially rotating, magnetized neutron stars in the slow-rotation, weak magnetic field limit using a perturbative metric evolution technique. Although this approach yields results comparable to those obtained via nonperturbative (BSSN) evolution techniques, simulations performed with the perturbative metric solver require about 1/4 the computational resources at a given resolution. This computational efficiency enables us to observe and analyze the effects of magnetic braking and the magnetorotational instability (MRI) at very hig…
We study the secular instability of magnetized differentially rotating radiative zones taking account of viscosity and magnetic and thermal diffusivities. The considered instability generalizes the well-known Goldreich-Schubert-Fricke instability for the case of a sufficiently strong magnetic field. In magnetized stars, instability can lead to a formation of non-spherical unstable zones where weak turbulence mixes the material between the surface and interiors. Such unstable zones can manifest themselves by a non-spherical distribution of abundance anormalies on the stellar surface.
The capacity to model magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) flows in dynamical, strongly curved spacetimes significantly extends the reach of numerical relativity in addressing many problems at the forefront of theoretical astrophysics. We have developed and tested an evolution code for the coupled Einstein-Maxwell-MHD equations which combines a BSSN solver with a high resolution shock capturing scheme. As one application, we evolve magnetized, differentially rotating neutron stars under the influence of a small seed magnetic field. Of particular significance is the behavior found for hypermassive neutr…
We study the nature of non-axisymmetric dynamical instabilities in differentially rotating stars with both linear eigenmode analysis and hydrodynamic simulations in Newtonian gravity. We especially investigate the following three types of instability; the one-armed spiral instability, the low T/|W| bar instability, and the high T/|W| bar instability, where T is the rotational kinetic energy and W is the gravitational potential energy. The nature of the dynamical instabilities is clarified by using a canonical angular momentum as a diagnostic. We find that the one-armed spiral and the low T/|W|…
We investigate the dynamical instability of the one-armed spiral m=1 mode in differentially rotating stars by means of 3+1 hydrodynamical simulations in Newtonian gravitation. We find that both a soft equation of state and a high degree of differential rotation in the equilibrium star are necessary to excite a dynamical m=1 mode as the dominant instability at small values of the ratio of rotational kinetic to potential energy, T/|W|. We find that this spiral mode propagates outward from its point of origin near the maximum density at the center to the surface over several central orbital perio…
We study the nature of non-axisymmetric dynamical instabilities in differentially rotating stars with both linear eigenmode analysis and hydrodynamic simulations in Newtonian gravity. We especially investigate the following three types of instability; the one-armed spiral instability, the low T/|W| bar instability, and the high T/|W| bar instability, where T is the rotational kinetic energy and W is the gravitational potential energy. The nature of the dynamical instabilities is clarified by using a canonical angular momentum as a diagnostic. We find that the one-armed spiral and the low T/|W|…
As an extension of our previous work, we investigate the dynamical instability against nonaxisymmetric bar-mode deformations of differentially rotating stars in Newtonian gravity varying the equations of state and velocity profiles. We performed the numerical simulation and the followup linear stability analysis adopting polytropic equations of state with the polytropic indices n=1, 3/2, and 5/2 and with two types of angular velocity profiles (the so-called j-constant-like and Kepler-like laws). It is confirmed that rotating stars of a high degree of differential rotation are dynamically unsta…
We initiate numerical studies of differentially rotating magnetised (proto) neutron stars by studying - through construction from first principles - the coupling between an assumed differential rotation and an impressed magnetic field. For a perfect incompressible, homogeneous, non-dissipative fluid sphere immersed in an ambient plasma, we solve the (coupled) azimuthal components of the Navier-Stokes equation and the Maxwell induction equation. The assumed time--independent poloidal field lines get dragged by the rotating fluid and produce toroidal magnetic fields. Surface magnetic fields take…
We study the magnetic braking and viscous damping of differential rotation in incompressible, uniform density stars in general relativity. Differentially rotating stars can support significantly more mass in equilibrium than nonrotating or uniformly rotating stars. The remnant of a binary neutron star merger or supernova core collapse may produce such a "hypermassive" neutron star. Although a hypermassive neutron star may be stable on a dynamical timescale, magnetic braking and viscous damping of differential rotation will ultimately alter the equilibrium structure, possibly leading to delayed…
We study the stability of a compressible differentially rotating flows in the presence of the magnetic field, and we show that the compressibility profoundly alters the previous results for a magnetized incompressible flow. The necessary condition of newly found instability can be easily satisfied in various flows in laboratory and astrophysical conditions and reads $B_{s} B_ϕ Ω' \neq 0$ where $B_{s}$ and $B_ϕ$ are the radial and azimuthal components of the magnetic field, $Ω' = d Ω/ds$ with $s$ being the cylindrical radius. Contrary to the well-known magnetorotational instability that occurs …
A one-armed spiral instability has been found to develop in differentially rotating stellar models that have a relatively stiff, $n=1$ polytropic equation of state and a wide range of rotational energies. This suggests that such instabilities can arise in neutron stars that are differentially, although not necessarily rapidly, rotating. The instability seems to be directly triggered by the presence of a corotation resonance inside the star. Our analysis also suggests that a resonant cavity resulting from a local minimum in the radial vortensity profile of the star plays an important role in am…
We study the stability of compressible cylindrical differentially rotating flow in the presence of the magnetic field, and show that compressibility alters qualitatively the stability properties of flows. Apart from the well-known magnetorotational instability that can occur even in incompressible flow, there exist a new instability caused by compressibility. The necessary condition of the newly found instability can easily be satisfied in various flows in laboratory and astrophysical conditions and reads $B_{s} B_ϕ Ω' \neq 0$ where $B_{s}$ and $B_ϕ$ are the radial and azimuthal magnetic field…
Transport of angular momentum is one of the thrust areas of astrophysical flows. Instabilities and hence the turbulence generated by it has been invoked to understand its role in angular momentum transport in hydrodynamic and magnetohydrodynamic regime. Investigation of an unexplored region described by the parameter space $Ω_e^2 < 0$, $Ω_e$ being the epicyclic frequency, resulted in a powerful magnetohydrodynamic instability. The growth rate of this instability is rather large and is found to depend on the wavenumber.
In this note we address the issue of hydrodynamical instabilities in Astrophysical rotating shear flows in the light of recent publications focused on the possibility for differential rotation to trigger and sustain turbulence in the absence of a magnetic field. We wish to present in a synthetic form the major arguments in favor of this thesis along with a simple schematic scenario of the transition to and self-sustenance of such turbulence. We also propose that the turbulent diffusion length scale scales as the local Rossby number of the mean flow. A new prescription for the turbulent viscosi…
In this paper we consider stationary force-free magnetosphere of an aligned rotator when plasma in the open field line region rotates differentially due to presence of a zone with the accelerating electric field in the polar cap of pulsar. We study the impact of differential rotation on the current density distribution in the magnetosphere. Using split-monopole approximation we obtain analytical expressions for physical parameters of differentially rotating magnetosphere. We find the range of admitted current density distributions under the requirement that the potential drop in the polar cap …
The paper provides a new framework for the description of linearized adiabatic lagrangian perturbations and stability of differentially rotating newtonian stars. In doing so it overcomes problems in a previous framework by Dyson and Schutz and provides the basis of a rigorous analysis of the stability of such stars. For this the governing equation of the oscillations is written as a first order system in time. From that system the generator of time evolution is read off and a Hilbert space is given where it generates a strongly continuous group. As a consequence the governing equation has a we…
We present the results of three-dimensional global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of the Parker-shearing instability in a differentially rotating torus initially threaded by toroidal magnetic fields. An equilibrium model of magnetized torus is adopted as an initial condition. When $β_0 = P_{\rm gas}/P_{\rm mag} \sim 1$ at the initial state, magnetic flux buoyantly escapes from the disk and creates loop-like structures similar to those in the solar corona. Inside the torus, growth of non-axisymmetric magneto-rotational (or Balbus & Hawley) instability generates magnetic turbulence. Magne…
In this paper we argue that differential rotation can possibly sustain hydrodynamic turbulence in the absence of magnetic field. We explain why the non-linearities of the hydrodynamic equations (i.e. turbulent diffusion) should not be neglected, either as a simplifying approximation or based on boundary counditions. The consequences of lifting this hypothesis are studied for the flow stability and the enhanced turbulent transport. We develop a simple general model for the energetics of turbulent fluctuations in differentially rotating flows. By taking into account the non-linearities of the eq…
We present an efficient and simple modification of the standard transport algorithm used in explicit eulerian fixed polar grid codes, aimed at getting rid of the average azimuthal velocity when applying the Courant condition. This results in a much larger timestep then the usual procedure, and it is particularly well-suited to the description of a Keplerian disk where one is traditionally limited by the very demanding Courant condition on the fast orbital motion at the inner boundary. In this modified algorithm, the timestep is limited by the perturbed velocity and by the shear arising from th…
The theory of waves and instabilities in a differentially rotating disc containing a poloidal magnetic field is developed within the framework of ideal magnetohydrodynamics. A continuous spectrum, for which the eigenfunctions are localized on individual magnetic surfaces, is identified but is found not to contain any instabilities associated with differential rotation. The normal modes of a weakly magnetized thin disc are studied by extending the asymptotic methods used previously to describe the equilibria. Waves propagate radially in the disc according to a dispersion relation which is deter…
We conduct a systematic examination of the properties of models for chemically homogeneous, differentially rotating, main-sequence stars of mass 1-2 M_sun. The models were constructed using a code based on a reformulation of the self-consistent field method of computing the equilibrium stellar structure for a specified conservative internal rotation law. [abridged] Relative to nonrotating stars of the same mass, these models all have reduced luminosities and effective temperatures, and flattened photospheric shapes (i.e., decreased polar radii) with equatorial radii that can be larger or small…
We study the dynamical stability against bar-mode deformation of rapidly spinning neutron stars with differential rotation. We perform fully relativistic 3D simulations of compact stars with $M/R \geq 0.1$, where $M$ is the total gravitational mass and $R$ the equatorial circumferential radius. We adopt an adiabatic equation of state with adiabatic index $Γ=2$. As in Newtonian theory, we find that stars above a critical value of $β\equiv T/W$ (where $T$ is the rotational kinetic energy and $W$ the gravitational binding energy) are dynamically unstable to bar formation. For our adopted choices …
Instabilities in magnetic fields wound up by differential rotation as reviewed in Spruit (1999) are discussed with some detail and new developments added. In stellar models which include magnetic torques, the differential rotation tends to accumulate in the gradients in composition. In view of this, instability in a $μ$-gradient is studied in more detail here, resulting in the detection of a second instability. Its relevance for angular momentum transport is uncertain, however, since it requires high horizontal field gradients and would not operate near the pole. Finally, the possibility is di…
A method for the asteroseismic analysis of beta Cephei stars is presented and applied to the star nu Eridani. The method is based on the analysis of rotational splittings, and their asymmetries using differentially-rotating asteroseismic models. Models with masses around 7.13 M_sun, and ages around 14.9 Myr, were found to fit better 10 of the 14 observed frequencies, which were identified as the fundamental radial mode and the three L=1 triplets g, p, and p. The splittings and aymmetries found for these modes recover those provided in the literature, except for p. For this last mode, all its n…
We carry out a general study of the stability of astrophysical flows that appear steady in a uniformly rotating frame. Such a flow might correspond to a stellar pulsation mode or an accretion disk with a free global distortion giving it finite eccentricity. We consider perturbations arbitrarily localized in the neighbourhood of unperturbed fluid streamlines.When conditions do not vary around them, perturbations take the form of oscillatory inertial or gravity modes. However, when conditions do vary so that a circulating fluid element is subject to periodic variations, parametric instability ma…
We investigate the origin of the high Faraday rotation measures (RMs) found for polarized radio galaxies in clusters. The two most likely origins are, magnetic fields local to the source, or magnetic fields located in the foreground intra-cluster medium (ICM). The latter is identified as the null hypothesis. Rudnick & Blundell (2003) have recently suggested that the presence of magnetic fields local to the source may be revealed in correlations of the position angles (PAs) of the source intrinsic linear polarization and the RMs. We investigate the claim of Rudnick & Blundell to have found a re…
A new class of disk MHD equilibrium solutions is described, which is valid within the standard local (``shearing sheet'') approximation scheme. These solutions have the following remarkable property: velocity streamlines and magnetic lines of force rotate rigidly, even in the presence of differential rotation. This situation comes about because the Lorentz forces acting upon modified epicycles compel fluid elements to follow magnetic lines of force. Field line (and streamline) configurations may be elliptical or hyperbolic, prograde or retrograde. These structures have previously known hydrody…
Viscosity and magnetic fields drive differentially rotating stars toward uniform rotation, which has important consequences in many astrophysical contexts. For example, merging binary neutron stars can form a "hypermassive" remnant, i.e. a differentially rotating star with a mass greater than the maximum allowed by uniform rotation. The removal of the centrifugal support provided by differential rotation can lead to delayed collapse of the remnant to a black hole, accompanied by a burst of gravitational radiation. Both magnetic fields and viscosity alter the structure of differentially rotatin…
The turbulent transport of angular momentum plays an important role in many astrophysical objects, but its modelization is still far from satisfactory. We discuss here what can be learned from laboratory experiments. We analyze the results obtained by Wendt (1933) and Taylor (1936) on the classical Couette-Taylor flow, in the case where angular momentum increases with distance from the rotation axis, which is the most interesting for astrophysical applications. We show that when the gap between the coaxial cylinders is wide enough, the criterion for the onset of the finite amplitude instabilit…
We study the local stability of stratified, differentially-rotating fluids to axisymmetric perturbations in the presence of a weak magnetic field and of finite resistivity, viscosity and heat conductivity. This is a generalization of the Goldreich-Schubert-Fricke (GSF) double-diffusive analysis to the magnetized and resistive, triple-diffusive case. Our fifth-order dispersion relation admits a novel branch which describes a magnetized version of multi-diffusive modes. We derive necessary conditions for axisymmetric stability in the inviscid and perfect-conductor (double-diffusive) limits. In e…
As a massive star evolves through multiple stages of nuclear burning on its way to becoming a supernova, a complex, differentially rotating structure is set up. Angular momentum is transported by a variety of classic instabilities, and also by magnetic torques from fields generated by the differential rotation. We present the first stellar evolution calculations to follow the evolution of rotating massive stars including, at least approximately, all these effects, magnetic and non-magnetic, from the zero-age main sequence until the onset of iron-core collapse. The evolution and action of the m…
The merger of binary neutron stars is likely to lead to differentially rotating remnants. In this paper we numerically construct models of differentially rotating neutron stars in general relativity and determine their maximum allowed mass. We model the stars adopting a polytropic equation of state and tabulate maximum allowed masses as a function of differential rotation and stiffness of the equation of state. We also provide a crude argument that yields a qualitative estimate of the effect of stiffness and differential rotation on the maximum allowed mass.
We find a class of exact solutions of differentially rotating dust in the framework of General Relativity. There exist asymptotically flat space-times of the flow with positive mass function that for radii sufficiently large is monotonic and tends to zero at infinity. Some of the space-times may have non-vanishing total angular momentum. The flow is essentially different from another exactly solvable flow described by van Stockum line element.
The general PDE governing linear, adiabatic, nonraradial oscillations in a spherical, differentially and slowly rotating non-magnetic star is derived. This equation describes mainly low-frequency and high-degree g-modes, convective g-modes, and rotational Rossby-like vorticity modes and their mutual interaction for arbitrarily given radial and latitudinal gradients of the rotation rate. In "traditional approximation" the angular parts of the eigenfunctions are described by Laplace's tidal equation generalized here to take into account differential rotation. From a qualitative analysis of Lapla…
We here discuss a new model of $γ$-ray bursts (GRBs) based on differentially rotating strange stars. Strange stars in this model and differentially rotating neutron stars in the Kluźniak-Ruderman model can produce extremely relativistic, variable fireballs required by GRBs and then become millisecond pulsars. The effect of such pulsars on expansion of the postburst fireballs through magnetic dipole radiation is studied. We show that these two models can explain naturally not only various features of GRBs but also light curves of afterglows.
The possibility that the magnetic shear-flow instability (MRI, Balbus-Hawley instability) might give rise to turbulence in a cylindric Couette flow is investigated through numerical simulations. The study is linear and the fluid flow is supposed to be incompressible and differentially rotating with a simple velocity profile with $Ω= a+b/R^2$. The simplicity of the model is counterbalanced by the fact that the study is fully global in all three spatial directions with boundaries on each side; finite diffusivities are also allowed. The investigation is also carried out for several values of the …
A recent study by Yoon & Langer (2004a) indicated that the inner cores of rapidly accreting (Mdot > 10^{-7} M_sun/yr) CO white dwarfs may rotate differentially, with a shear rate near the threshold value for the onset of the dynamical shear instability. Such differentially rotating white dwarfs obtain critical masses for thermonuclear explosion or electron-capture induced collapse which significantly exceed the canonical Chandrasekhar limit. Here, we construct two-dimensional differentially rotating white dwarf models with rotation laws resembling those of the one-dimensional models of Yoon & …
We investigate the evolution of rigidly and differentially rotating protoneutron stars (PNSs) during the first twenty seconds of their life. We solve the equations describing stationary axisymmetric configurations in general relativity coupled to a finite temperature, relativistic equation of state, to obtain a sequence of quasi-equilibrium configurations describing the evolution of newly born neutron stars. Our estimates show that the scale of variation of the angular velocity in a PNSs is of the order of 7-10 km. We obtain the maximum rotation frequency that can be reached as the protoneutro…
Differential rotation can be detected in single line profiles of stars rotating more rapidly than about $v \sin{i} = 10$ km s$^{-1}$ with the Fourier transform technique. This allows to search for differential rotation in large samples to look for correlations between differential rotation and other stellar parameters. I analyze the fraction of differentially rotating stars as a function of color, rotation, and activity in a large sample of F-type stars. Color and rotation exhibit a correlation with differential rotation in the sense that more stars are rotating differentially in the cooler, l…
