Andrea Passamonti

• PhD in Physics
• Fellow at University of Alicante

We study the tidal response of a superfluid neutron star in a binary system, focussing on Newtonian models with superfluid neutrons present throughout the star's core and the inner crust. Within the two-fluid formalism, we consider the main aspects that arise from the presence of different regions inside the star, with particular focus on the vario...

During the late stages of a neutron star binary inspiral finite-size effects come into play, with the tidal deformability of the supranuclear density matter leaving an imprint on the gravitational-wave signal. As demonstrated in the case of GW170817—the first direct detection of gravitational waves from a neutron star binary—this can lead to strong...

We consider the dynamical tidal response of a neutron star in an inspiralling binary, focussing on the impact of the star's elastic crust. Within the context of Newtonian gravity, we add the elastic aspects to the theoretical formulation of the problem and quantify the dynamical excitation of different classes of oscillation modes. The results demo...

We consider the dynamical tidal response of a neutron star in an inspiralling binary, focussing on the impact of the star's elastic crust. Within the context of Newtonian gravity, we add the elastic aspects to the theoretical formulation of the problem and quantify the dynamical excitation of different classes of oscillation modes. The results demo...

Implementing a family of differential rotation laws inspired by binary neutron-star merger remnants, we consider the impact of the rotation profile on the low-T/W instability. We use time evolutions of the linearised dynamical equations, in Newtonian gravity, to study non-axisymmetric oscillations and identify the unstable modes. The presence and e...

Using nonlinear, fully relativistic, simulations we investigate the dynamics and gravitational-wave signature associated with instabilities in neutron star postmerger remnants. For simplified models of the remnant we establish the presence of an instability in stars with moderate T=jWj, the ratio between the kinetic and the gravitational potential...

Using nonlinear, fully relativistic, simulations we investigate the dynamics and gravitational-wave signature associated with instabilities in neutron star post-merger remnants. For simplified models of the remnant, we establish the presence of instability in stars with moderate $T/|W|$, the ratio between the kinetic and the gravitational potential...

Implementing a family of differential rotation laws inspired by binary neutron-star merger remnants, we consider the impact of the rotation profile on the low-T/W instability. We use time evolutions of the linearised dynamical equations, in Newtonian gravity, to study non-axisymmetric oscillations and identify the unstable modes. The presence and e...

Improvements in ground-based advanced gravitational wave (GW) detectors may soon allow us to observe the GW signal of a nearby core-collapse supernova. For most progenitors, likely with slowly rotating cores, the dominant GW emission mechanisms are the post-bounce oscillations of the proto-neutron star (PNS) before the explosion. We present a new p...

Improvements in ground-based, advanced gravitational wave (GW) detectors may allow in the near future to observe the GW signal of a nearby core-collapse supernova. For the most common type of progenitors, likely with slowly rotating cores, the dominant GW emission mechanisms are the post-bounce oscillations of the proto-neutron star (PNS) before th...

Gravitational waves from core-collapse supernovae are produced by the excitation of different oscillation modes in the proto-neutron star (PNS) and its surroundings, including the shock. In this work we study the relationship between the post-bounce oscillation spectrum of the PNS-shock system and the characteristic frequencies observed in gravitat...

Gravitational waves from core-collapse supernovae are produced by the excitation of different oscillation modes in the proto-neutron star (PNS) and its surroundings, including the shock. In this work we study the relationship between the post-bounce oscillation spectrum of the PNS-shock system and the characteristic frequencies observed in gravitat...

We revisit the various approximations employed to study the long-term evolution of the magnetic field in neutron star cores and discuss their limitations and possible improvements. A recent controversy on the correct form of the induction equation and the relevant evolution timescale in superconducting neutron star cores is addressed and clarified....

We revisit the various approximations employed to study the long-term evolution of the magnetic field in neutron star cores and discuss their limitations and possible improvements. A recent controversy on the correct form of the induction equation and the relevant evolution timescale in superconducting neutron star cores is addressed and clarified....

We study ambipolar diffusion in strongly magnetised neutron stars, with special focus on the effects of neutrino reaction rates and the impact of a superfluid/superconducting transition in the neutron star core. For axisymmetric magnetic field configurations, we determine the deviation from $\beta-$equilibrium induced by the magnetic force and calc...

We study ambipolar diffusion in strongly magnetised neutron stars, with special focus on the effects of neutrino reaction rates and the impact of a superfluid/superconducting transition in the neutron star core. For axisymmetric magnetic field configurations, we determine the deviation from $\beta-$equilibrium induced by the magnetic force and calc...

We study the torsional magneto-elastic oscillations of relativistic superfluid magnetars and explore the effects of a phase transition in the crust-core interface (nuclear pasta) which results in a weaker elastic response. Exploring various models with different extension of nuclear pasta phases, we find that the differences in the oscillation spec...

We study the torsional magneto-elastic oscillations of relativistic superfluid magnetars and explore the effects of a phase transition in the crust-core interface (nuclear pasta) which results in a weaker elastic response. Exploring various models with different extension of nuclear pasta phases, we find that the differences in the oscillation spec...

We consider the local dynamics of a realistic neutron star core, including composition gradients, superfluidity and thermal effects. The main focus is on the gravity g-modes, which are supported by composition stratification and thermal gradients. We derive the equations that govern this problem in full detail, paying particular attention to the in...

We consider the local dynamics of a realistic neutron star core, including composition gradients, superfluidity and thermal effects. The main focus is on the gravity g-modes, which are supported by composition stratification and thermal gradients. We derive the equations that govern this problem in full detail, paying particular attention to the in...

The motion of a test particle in the gravitational field of a non-spherical source endowed with both mass and mass quadrupole moment is investigated when a test radiation field is also present. The background is described by the Erez-Rosen solution, which is a static spacetime belonging to the Weyl class of solutions to the vacuum Einstein's field...

We study the low T/W instability associated with the f-mode of differentially rotating stars. Our stellar models are described by a polytropic equation of state and the rotation profile is given by the standard j-constant law. The properties of the relevant oscillation modes, including the instability growth time, are determined from time evolution...

We study the time evolution of axisymmetric oscillations of superfluid magnetars with a poloidal magnetic field and an elastic crust, working in Newtonian gravity. Extending earlier models, we study the effects of composition gradients and entrainment on the magneto-elastic wave spectrum and on the potential identification of the observed quasi-per...

We study the dynamical evolution of the gravitational-wave driven instability of the f-mode in rapidly rotating relativistic stars with a polytropic equation of state. We use linear perturbation theory to describe the evolution of the mode amplitude and follow the trajectory of a newborn neutron star through its instability window. An unstable f-mo...

We study the time-evolution of axisymmetric oscillations of superfluid magnetars with a poloidal magnetic field and an elastic crust. Extending earlier models, we study the effects of composition gradients and entrainment on the magneto-elastic wave spectrum and on the potential identification of the observed Quasi Periodic Oscillations (QPOs). The...

The violent giant flares of magnetars excite QPOs which persist for hundreds of seconds, as seen in the X-ray tail following the initial burst. Recent studies, based on single-fluid barotropic magnetar models, have suggested that the lower-frequency QPOs correspond to magneto-elastic oscillations of the star. The higher frequencies, however, in par...

We study the dynamical evolution of the gravitational-wave driven instability of the f-mode in rapidly rotating relativistic stars. With an approach based on linear perturbation theory we describe the evolution of the mode amplitude and follow the trajectory of a newborn neutron star through its instability window. The influence on the f-mode insta...

We study the damping of the gravitational radiation-driven f-mode instability in rotating neutron stars by nonlinear bulk viscosity in the so-called supra-thermal regime. In this regime the dissipative action of bulk viscosity is known to be enhanced as a result of nonlinear contributions with respect to the oscillation amplitude. Our analysis of t...

We study the effects of an elastic crust on the oscillation spectrum of superfluid neutron stars. Within the two-fluid formalism, we consider Newtonian stellar models that include the relevant constituents of a mature neutron star. The core is formed by a mixture of superfluid neutrons and a conglomerate of charged particles, while the inner crust...

We investigate the oscillation spectrum of rotating Newtonian neutron stars endowed with purely toroidal magnetic fields, using a time-evolution code to evolve linear perturbations in the Cowling approximation. The background star is generated by numerically solving the magnetohydrodynamics equilibrium equations and may be non-spherical by virtue o...

We study time evolutions of superfluid neutron stars, focussing on the nature of the oscillation spectrum, the effect of mutual friction force on the oscillations and the hydrodynamical spin-up phase of pulsar glitches. We linearise the dynamical equations of a Newtonian two-fluid model for rapidly rotating backgrounds. In the axisymmetric equilibr...

We study the time evolution of non-axisymmetric oscillations of rapidly rotating neutron stars. The rotation is assumed uniform and the stellar models have composition gradients that generate gravity restored oscillation modes. We work in linear Newtonian perturbation theory and in Cowling approximation, i.e. we neglect the gravitational potential...

In this paper we consider a simple two-fluid model for pulsar glitches. We derive the basic equations that govern the spin evolution of the system from two-fluid hydrodynamics, accounting for the vortex mediated mutual friction force that determines the glitch rise. This leads to a simple "bulk" model that can be used to describe the main propertie...

Using time evolutions of the relevant linearized equations, we study non-axisymmetric oscillations of rapidly rotating and superfluid neutron stars. We consider perturbations of Newtonian axisymmetric background configurations and account for the presence of superfluid components via the standard two-fluid model. Within the Cowling approximation, w...

We develop a new perturbative framework for studying the r-modes of rotating superfluid neutron stars. Our analysis accounts for the centrifugal deformation of the star, and considers the two-fluid dynamics at linear order in the perturbed velocities. Our main focus is on a simple model system where the total density profile is that of an $n=1$ pol...

We use time-evolutions of the linear perturbation equations to study the oscillations of rapidly rotating neutrons stars. Our models account for the buoyancy due to composition gradients and we study, for the first time, the nature of the resultant g-modes in a fast spinning star. We provide detailed comparisons of non-stratified and stratified mod...

Nonaxisymmetric 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 c...

Nonlinear stellar oscillations can be studied by using a multiparameter perturbative approach, which is appropriate for investigating the low and mild nonlinear dynamical regimes. We present the main properties of our perturbative framework for describing, in the time domain, the nonlinear coupling between the radial and nonradial perturbations of...

The post-bounce oscillations of newly-born relativistic stars are expected to lead to gravitational-wave emission through the excitation of nonradial oscillation modes. At the same time, the star is oscillating in its radial modes, with a central density variation that can reach several percent. Nonlinear couplings between radial oscillations and p...

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, th...

We investigate the nonlinear coupling between radial and nonradial oscillations of static spherically-symmetric neutron stars as a possible mechanism for the generation of gravitational waves that may lead to observable signatures. In this paper we concentrate on the axial sector of the nonradial perturbations. By using a multiparameter perturbativ...

Linear perturbation theory is appropriate to describe small oscillations of stars, while a mild nonlinearity is still tractable perturbatively but requires one to consider mode coupling, i.e., to take into account second order effects. It is natural to start to look at this problem by considering the coupling between linear radial and nonradial mod...

This is a progress report on our study of the coupling of first-order radial and non-radial relativistic perturbations of a static spherical star. Our goal is to investigate the effects of this coupling on the gravitational wave signal of neutron stars. In particular, we are looking for the existence of resonances and parametric amplifications, cha...

We study the dynamical evolution of the gravitational-wave driven instability of the f -mode in rapidly rotating relativistic stars. With an approach based on linear perturbation theory we describe the evolution of the mode amplitude and follow the trajectory of a newborn neutron star through its instability window. The influence on the f -mode ins...