Revealing the physics of r-modes in low-mass X-ray binaries

Understand

We consider the astrophysical constraints on the gravitational-wave driven r-mode instability in accreting neutron stars in low-mass X-ray binaries.

• We use recent results on superfluid and superconducting properties to infer the core temperature in these neutron stars and show the diversity of the observed population.
• Simple theoretical models indicate that many of these systems reside inside the r-mode instability region.
• However, this is in clear disagreement with expectations, especially for the systems containing the most rapidly rotating neutron stars.