Gravitomagnetic tidal currents in rotating neutron stars

Understand

It was recently revealed that a rotating compact body responds dynamically when it is subjected to a gravitomagnetic tidal field, even when this field is idealized as time-independent.

• The dynamical response is characterized by time-changing internal currents, and it was suspected to originate from zero-frequency g-modes and r-modes driven by the tidal forces.
• In this paper we provide additional insights into the phenomenon by examining the tidal response of a rotating body within the framework of post-Newtonian gravity.
• This approach allows us to develop an intuitive picture for the phenomenon, which relies on the close analogy between post-Newtonian gravity and Maxwell's theory of electromagnetism.