Gravitational Waves and Pulsating Stars: What Can We Learn from Future Observations?

Abstract

We present new results for pulsating stars in general relativity. First we show that the so-called gravitational-wave modes of a neutron star can be excited when a gravitational wave impinges on the star. Numerical simulations suggest that the modes may be astrophysically relevant, and we discuss whether they will be observable with future gravitational-wave detectors. We also discuss how such observations could lead to estimates of both the radius and the mass of a neutron star, and thus put constraints on the nuclear equation of state.