Dynamical bar instability in a relativistic rotational core collapse

Abstract

We investigate the rotational core collapse of a rapidly rotating relativistic star by means of a 3+1 hydrodynamical simulations in conformally flat spacetime of general relativity. We concentrate our investigation to the bounce of the rotational core collapse, since potentially most of the gravitational waves from it are radiated around the core bounce. The dynamics of the star is started from a differentially rotating equilibrium star of T/W ~ 0.16 (T is the rotational kinetic energy and W is the gravitational binding energy of the equilibrium star), depleting the pressure to initiate the collapse and to exceed the threshold of dynamical bar instability. Our finding is that the collapsing star potentially forms a bar when the star has a toroidal structure due to the redistribution of the angular momentum at the core bounce. On the other hand, the collapsing star weakly forms a bar when the star has a spheroidal structure. We also find that the bar structure of the star is destroyed when the torus is destroyed in the rotational core collapse. Since the collapse of a toroidal star potentially forms a bar, it can be a promising source of gravitational waves which will be detected in advanced LIGO.