arXiv subjects

Jayana A. Saes

Publications and source records attributed to Jayana A. Saes.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Universal Relations with Dynamical Tides

Observations of neutron stars and the precise measurement of their macroscopic properties have provided valuable insights into fundamental physics, both by constraining the behavior of nuclear matter under extreme conditions and by enabling tests of general relativity in the strong-field regime. In this context, equation-of-state-insensitive or ``quasi-universal'' relations between key observables, such as the compactness, dimensionless static tidal deformability, and moment of inertia, play a crucial role in connecting different measurable observables while minimizing uncertainties due to the yet unknown equation-of-state. In this work, we identify new quasi-universal relations between the static, dimensionless tidal deformability ($Λ^{(0)}$) and its leading-order dynamical correction ($Λ^{(2)}$), as well as between $Λ^{(0)}$ and a combination of these parameters ($\sqrt{ Λ^{(0)}/Λ^{(2)}}\equiv Mω_*$), obtained from the small-frequency expansion of the relativistic tidal response. We test these relations across a representative set of 59 equations of state, finding that the equation-of-state dependence does not exceed $\sim$5\% for the $Λ^{(0)}$--$Λ^{(2)}$ relation and $\sim2.8\%$ for the $Λ^{(0)}$--$Mω_*$ relation. This indicates a high degree of universality and offers a simplified framework for incorporating dynamical tidal effects into gravitational-wave modeling. Furthermore, we compare the dynamical tidal response against different recent strategies (a Taylor expansion and a one-mode approximation) to model the dynamical tide. We find that both models are capable of capturing the frequency-dependent behavior of the dynamical tidal deformability, with the one-mode approximation agreeing better with the dynamical response than the Taylor expansion in most of the parameter space.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2026

Beyond Three Terms: Continued Fractions for Rotating Black Holes in Modified Gravity

Black-hole ringdown offers a clean probe of strong gravity, but one of its most accurate tools--Leaver's continued-fraction method--requires a three-term recurrence relation. Beyond general relativity, and more generally in non-Kerr spacetimes, Frobenius expansions of the perturbation equations generically produce higher-order recurrence relations and, often, couplings among the series coefficients, obstructing a direct application of Leaver's method. Here we develop a general reduction scheme that maps arbitrary scalar and matrix $N$-term recurrence relations to a three-term form, thereby extending continued fractions to a broad class of perturbation problems in modified gravity. As an application, we compute the quasinormal-mode spectrum of slowly-rotating black holes in dynamical Chern-Simons gravity, where the polar sector yields a 16-term, decoupled, scalar recurrence relation, and the axial sector yields a 12-term, coupled, matrix recurrence relation. After applying our reduction scheme, both systems can be solved with continued fractions. For the fundamental $(\ell,m)=(2,2)$ mode, our results agree well with independent calculations based on eigenvalue-perturbation and metric/spectral methods across the parameter range studied. This framework provides a robust and practical route to precision ringdown calculations beyond the standard three-term setting and supports tests of gravity with current and future gravitational-wave observations.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

I-Love-$\langle c_s^2 \rangle$: Approximately universal relations for the average neutron star stiffness

The accurate observations of neutron stars have deepened our knowledge of both general relativity and the properties of nuclear physics at large densities. Relating observations to the microphysics that govern these stars can sometimes be aided by approximate universal relations. One such relation connects the ratio of the central pressure to the central energy density and the compactness of the star, and it has been found to be insensitive to realistic models for the equation of state to a $\sim 10\%$ level. In this paper, we clarify the meaning of the microscopic quantity appearing in this relation, which is reinterpreted as the average of the speed of sound squared in the interior of a star, $\langle c_s^2 \rangle\!$. The physical origin of the quasi-universality of the $\langle c_s^2 \rangle - C$ relation is then investigated. Making use of post-Minkowskian expansions, we find it to be linked to the Newtonian limit of the structure equations, as well as to the fact that the equations of state that describe NSs are relatively stiff. The same post-Minkowskian approach is also applied to the relations between $\langle c_s^2 \rangle\!$, the moment of inertia, and the tidal deformability of a neutron star, arriving at similar conclusions.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2022

Equation-of-state-insensitive measure of neutron star stiffness

Universal relations (i.e., insensitive to the equation of state) between macroscopic properties of neutron stars have proven useful for a variety of applications -- from providing a direct means to extract observables from data to breaking degeneracies that hinder tests of general relativity. Similarly, equation-of-state-insensitive relations directly connecting macroscopic and microscopic properties of neutron stars can potentially provide a clean window into the behavior of nuclear matter. In this work, we uncover a tight correlation between certain macroscopic properties of a neutron star - its compactness $C$, moment of inertia $\bar{I}$ and tidal deformability $\barΛ$ - and the ratio $α_c \equiv p_c/ε_c$ of central pressure to central energy density, which can be interpreted as a mean notion of the stiffness of nuclear matter inside that object. We describe interesting properties of this stiffness measure, quantify the (approximate) universality of the $α_c - C/\bar{I}/\barΛ$ relations, and explore its consequences in the face of recent and future neutron star observations.

gr-qc↗