arXiv subjects

Swarnim Shirke

Publications and source records attributed to Swarnim Shirke.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

PSR J0614-3329: A NICER case for Strange Quark Stars

Precise measurements of neutron star masses and radii by the NICER mission impose important constraints on the nuclear equation of state. The most recent NICER measurement of PSR J0614-3329 reported an equatorial radius of $R_{eq} = 10.29^{+1.01}_{-0.86}$ km for a mass of $M = 1.44^{+0.06}_{-0.07} M_{\odot}$. Considering all the NICER measurements to date, we find substantial evidence using Bayesian hypothesis ranking for strange quark stars over physically motivated models of neutron stars compatible with this low radius. This provides a strong case for quark matter in neutron stars and also for the possible existence of strange quark stars, a consequence of the Bodmer-Witten hypothesis, suggesting that they could be considered among the population of compact stars during analyses of astrophysical data. Using a wide sample of equations of state, we report the nucleonic equations of state that best fit current observations and rule out one model of strange quark matter.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

$g$-mode oscillations of dark matter admixed neutron stars

We investigate $g$-mode oscillations in dark matter admixed neutron stars employing a relativistic mean field model to describe hadronic matter and a model for self-interacting fermionic dark matter motivated by the neutron decay anomaly. Following the construction of such admixed configurations, we derive the equilibrium and adiabatic speeds of sound therein, leading to a computation of the star's $g$-mode spectrum in the Cowling approximation. In particular, we explore the effect of dark matter self-interaction, the nucleon effective mass and dark matter fraction on the principal $g$-mode frequency, and its first overtone. We show that the effect on $g$-mode frequency depends predominantly on the dark matter fraction, and demonstrate an equation of state-independent constraint for the latter. Prospects of identifying the presence of dark matter in neutron stars using $g$-mode are discussed.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

A White Paper on The Multi-Messenger Science Landscape in India

The multi-messenger science using different observational windows to the Universe such as Gravitational Waves (GWs), Electromagnetic Waves (EMs), Cosmic Rays (CRs), and Neutrinos offer an opportunity to study from the scale of a neutron star to cosmological scales over a large cosmic time. At the smallest scales, we can explore the structure of the neutron star and the different energetics involved in the transition of a pre-merger neutron star to a post-merger neutron star. This will open up a window to study the properties of matter in extreme conditions and a guaranteed discovery space. On the other hand, at the largest cosmological scales, multi-messenger observations allow us to study the long-standing problems in physical cosmology related to the Hubble constant, dark matter, and dark energy by mapping the expansion history of the Universe using GW sources. Moreover, the multi-messenger studies of astrophysical systems such as white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes of different masses, all the way up to a high redshift Universe, will bring insightful understanding into the physical processes associated with them that are inaccessible otherwise. This white paper discusses the key cases in the domain of multi-messenger astronomy and the role of observatories in India which can explore uncharted territories and open discovery spaces in different branches of physics ranging from nuclear physics to astrophysics.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Fundamental oscillations as a tool to distinguish boson stars from neutron stars and black holes

Massive boson stars are self-gravitating configurations of self-interacting scalar fields and can be modeled by a massive scalar field with a quartic self-interaction potential. It has been shown that the equation of state and static structure properties, such as mass and radius, follow scaling relations independent of microscopic dark matter properties. In this work, we demonstrate for the first time that non-radial fundamental ($f$-)mode characteristics also follow a scaling in the strong interaction limit, opening up the outstanding prospect of evaluating the mode properties for boson stars for arbitrary masses spanning the scalar dark matter parameter space allowed by current observations. We provide the scaling relations within full general relativity and obtain the mode characteristics corresponding to the maximum boson star mass configuration. We apply these to determine the $f$-mode properties for boson stars solely as a function of their mass and compactness, which allows distinguishing them from those of neutron stars and black hole quasinormal modes in comparable mass range. In particular, we show that the frequencies are always lower than those of corresponding black holes of the same mass by a factor of 4.5. This provides a smoking gun for the distinguishability of boson stars from other compact objects using gravitational wave observations.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Detectability of Massive Boson Stars using Gravitational Waves from Fundamental Oscillations

Boson Stars are macroscopic self-gravitating configurations made of complex scalar fields. These exotic compact objects would manifest as dark Boson stars and, in the absence of electromagnetic signatures, could mimic properties of compact stars in the gravitational wave spectrum. In a recent study, using the simplest potential for massive Boson stars, we demonstrated that fundamental non-radial oscillations ($f$-modes) obey scaling relations that allow them to be distinguished from neutron stars and black holes. In this work, we provide analytical fits for these scaling relations, valid for the dark matter parameter space compatible with current astrophysical and cosmological data, that can be directly incorporated into future studies of massive Boson stars in the strong coupling regime, avoiding the need for numerical calculations. We also provide analytical fits for empirical and universal relations for gravitational wave asteroseismology, which can be used to infer microscopic dark matter properties following a successful detection. Further, we investigate the possibility of detection of $f$-modes and the dark matter parameter space that can be probed with current and future gravitational wave detectors across multiple frequency bands. Assuming a burst gravitational wave model and demanding a signal-to-noise ratio of 5, we show that the current and future detectors can, in principle, probe Boson star $f$-modes up to cosmological distances: 1 Mpc with aLIGO, 30 Mpc with Cosmic Explorer and Einstein Telescope, and in the best case scenario, about 300 Mpc with LISA.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Effects of Dark Matter on $f$-mode oscillations of Neutron Stars

The effect of dark matter (DM) on $f$-mode oscillations in DM admixed neutron stars (NSs) is investigated in a comprehensive analysis with particular attention to the role of the nuclear equation of state. Hadronic matter is modeled by the relativistic mean field model and the DM model is based on the neutron decay anomaly. The non-radial $f$-mode oscillations for such DM admixed NS are studied in a full general relativistic framework. We investigate the impact of DM, DM self-interaction, and DM fraction on the $f$-mode characteristics. We derive relations encoding the effect of DM on $f$-mode parameters. We then perform a systematic study by varying all the model parameters within their known uncertainty range and obtain a universal relation for the DM fraction based on the total mass of the star and DM self-interaction strength. We also perform a correlation study among model parameters, NS observables, in particular, $f$-mode parameters. Finally, we check the $f$-mode universal relations (URs) for the case of DM admixed NSs and demonstrate the existence of a degeneracy between purely hadronic NSs and DM admixed NSs.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2023

R-modes as a New Probe of Dark Matter in Neutron Stars

In this work, we perform the first systematic investigation of effects of the presence of dark matter on $r$-mode oscillations in neutron stars (NSs). Using a self-interacting dark matter (DM) model based on the neutron decay anomaly and a hadronic model obtained from the posterior distribution of a recent Bayesian analysis, we impose constraints on the DM self-interaction strength using recent multimessenger astrophysical observations. We also put new constraints on the DM fraction for this model of DM. The constrained DM interaction strength is then used to estimate DM self-interaction cross section and shear viscosity resulting from DM, which is found to be several orders of magnitude smaller than shear viscosity due to hadronic matter. Assuming chemical equilibrium among DM fermions and neutrons, we estimate the bulk viscosity resulting from the dark decay of neutrons considering different scenarios for the temperature dependence of the reaction rate and investigate the effect on the $r$-mode instability window. We conclude that DM shear and bulk viscosity may significantly modify the $r$-mode instability window compared with the minimal hadronic viscosities, depending on the temperature dependence of the process. We also found that for the window to be compatible with the X-ray and pulsar observational data, the rate for the dark decay process must be fast.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

Prospects of identifying the presence of Strange Stars using Gravitational Waves from binary systems

The existence of self-bound strange stars is a long-standing mystery in astrophysics. Future astrophysical data, even with improved precision, may not allow us to discriminate them from neutron stars, given the uncertainties in observational and theoretical modeling. In this work, we propose a unique strategy to distinguish strange stars from neutron stars using gravitational waves from binary compact star systems. We demonstrate that empirical relations connecting f-mode frequencies with tidal deformation are distinct for the two classes of compact objects, irrespective of their equations of state. Therefore simultaneous measurement of f-mode frequency and tidal deformability from the inspiral phase of compact binary mergers with the next-generation detectors can provide smoking gun evidence for the presence of strange stars. This would have crucial implications not only in gravitational wave physics but multidisciplinary fields such as nuclear and high energy physics.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2022

Constraining the equation of state of hybrid stars using recent information from multidisciplinary physics

At the ultra-high densities existing in the core of neutron stars, it is expected that a phase transition from baryonic to deconfined quark matter may occur. Such a phase transition would affect the underlying equation of state (EoS) as well as the observable astrophysical properties of neutron stars. Comparison of EoS model predictions with astronomical data from multi-messenger signals then provides us an opportunity to probe the behaviour of dense matter. In this work, we restrict the allowed parameter space of EoS models in neutron stars for both nucleonic (relativistic mean field model) and quark matter (bag model) sectors by imposing state-of-the-art constraints from nuclear calculations, multi-messenger astrophysical data and perturbative QCD (pQCD). We systematically investigate the effect of each constraint on the parameter space of uncertainties using a cut-off filter scheme, as well as the correlations among the parameters and with neutron star astrophysical observables. Using the constraints, we obtain limits for maximum NS mass, maximum central density, as well as for NS radii and tidal deformability. Although pQCD constraints are only effective at very high densities, they significantly reduce the parameter space of the quark model. We also conclude that astrophysical data supports high values of the bag parameter B and disfavors the existence of a pure quark matter core in hybrid stars.

astro-ph.HE↗