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Free keywords:
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology, gr-qc, Astrophysics, High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena, astro-ph.HE
Abstract:
We study the prospects for detection of continuous gravitational signals from
"normal" Galactic neutron stars, i.e. non-recycled ones. We use a synthetic
population generated by evolving stellar remnants in time, according to several
models. We consider the most recent constraints set by all-sky searches for
continuous gravitational waves and use them for our detectability criteria. We
discuss detection prospects for the current and the next generation of
gravitational wave detectors. We find that neutron stars whose ellipticity is
solely caused by magnetic deformations cannot produce any detectable signal,
not even by 3rd-generation detectors. Currently detectable sources all have
$B\lesssim10^{12}$ G and deformations not solely due to the magnetic field. For
these in fact we find that the larger the magnetic field is, the larger is the
ellipticity required for the signal to be detectable and this ellipticity is
well above the value induced by the magnetic field. Third-generation detectors
as the Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer will be able to detect up to
$\approx 250$ more sources than current detectors. We briefly treat the case of
recycled neutron stars, with a simplified model. We find that continuous
gravitational waves from these objects will likely remain elusive to detection
by current detectors but should be detectable with the next generation of
detectors.
