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Paper: Gravitational Waves and the Maximum Spin Rate of Accreting Neutron Stars
Volume: 328, Binary Radio Pulsars
Page: 317
Authors: Arras, P.
Abstract: Accreting neutron stars in the weakly magnetic Low-Mass X-Ray Binaries (LMXBs) are expected to be spun up near the breakup frequency ≥1 kHz in a small fraction of their age. The lack of observed systems above ~ 600-700 Hz has led to the suggestion that gravitational-wave spindown torque may be setting a maximum rotation rate. If true, searches for sub-millisecond radio pulsars will not be successful, and no constraint can be placed on the equation of state of dense nuclear matter from measuring the breakup frequency. However, if gravitational waves are limiting the neutron star spin rate, the spin period distribution may contain information about neutron star structure and microphysics.
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