Slowly rotating neutron stars in scalar-tensor theories

Abstract

We construct models of slowly rotating, perfect-fluid neutron stars by extending the classical Hartle-Thorne formalism to generic scalar-tensor theories of gravity. Working at second order in the dimensionless angular momentum, we compute the mass M, radius R, scalar charge q, moment of inertia I and spin-induced quadrupole moment Q, as well as the tidal and rotational Love numbers. Our formalism applies to generic scalar-tensor theories, but we focus in particular on theories that allow for spontaneous scalarization. It was recently discovered that the moment of inertia, quadrupole moment and Love numbers are connected by approximately universal (i.e., equation-of-state independent) "I-Love-Q" relations. We find that similar relations hold also for spontaneously scalarized stars. More interestingly, the I-Love-Q relations in scalar-tensor theories coincide with the general relativistic ones within less than a few percent, even for spontaneously scalarized stars with the largest couplings allowed by current binary-pulsar constraints. This implies that astrophysical measurements of these parameters cannot be used to discriminate between general relativity and scalar-tensor theories, even if spontaneous scalarization occurs in nature. Because of the well known equivalence between f(R) theories and scalar-tensor theories, the theoretical framework developed in this paper can be used to construct rotating compact stellar models in f(R) gravity. Our slow-rotation expansion can also be used as a benchmark for numerical calculations of rapidly spinning neutron stars in generic scalar-tensor theories.