Supervisors info:
Θεοχάρης Αποστολάτος, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Φυσικής, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
The aim of this thesis is to understand the fundamental mechanisms that are responsible for gravitational wave emission from isolated neutron stars. We start by briefly presenting some of the dominant mechanisms that produce gravitational waves from single neutron stars, in order to, delve later into the CFS instability mechanism. Following, we study the Einstein's equations in the linearized approximation of General Theory of Relativity, with the aim of extracting the characteristic features of the gravitational waves as a function of the quadrupole moment tensor, which is responsible for their excitation.
Finally, due to the fact that the CFS mechanism can lead to dynamical changes linked to deformations of the shape of the star, we dedicate the last part of this thesis, to study the figures of equilibrium of self-gravitating, rotating masses.
