General relativistic models of binary neutron stars in quasiequilibrium

We perform fully relativistic calculations of binary neutron stars in corotating, circular orbit. While Newtonian gravity allows for a strict equilibrium, a relativistic binary system emits gravitational radiation, causing the system to lose energy and slowly spiral inwards. However, since inspiral occurs on a time scale much longer than the orbital period, we can treat the binary to be in quasiequilibrium. In this approximation, we integrate a subset of the Einstein equations coupled to the relativistic equation of hydrostatic equilibrium to solve the initial value problem for binaries of arbitrary separation. We adopt a polytropic equation of state to determine the structure and maximum mass of neutron stars in close binaries for polytropic indices $n=1,$ 1.5 and 2. We construct sequences of constant rest-mass and locate turning points along energy equilibrium curves to identify the onset of orbital instability. In particular, we locate the innermost stable circular orbit and its angular velocity. We construct the first contact binary systems in full general relativity. These arise whenever the equation of state is sufficiently soft $(n\gtrsim 1.5).$ A radial stability analysis reveals no tendency for neutron stars in close binaries to collapse to black holes prior to merger.