Modelling neutron star mountains

Understand

As the era of gravitational-wave astronomy has well and truly begun, gravitational radiation from rotating neutron stars remains elusive.

• Rapidly spinning neutron stars are the main targets for continuous-wave searches since, according to general relativity, provided they are asymmetrically deformed, they will emit gravitational waves.
• It is believed that detecting such radiation will unlock the answer to why no pulsars have been observed to spin close to the break-up frequency.
• We review existing studies on the maximum mountain that a neutron star crust can support, critique the key assumptions and identify issues relating to boundary conditions that need to be resolved.