Epicyclic frequencies of spheroidal stars with non-uniform density

Abstract

ABSTRACT We consider the gravitational potential of a rotating star with non-uniform density to derive the orbital and epicyclic frequencies of the particles orbiting the star. We assume that the star is composed of concentric spheroids of constant density, with a global power-law distribution of density inside the star. At the lowest order approximation, we recover the known result for the Maclaurin spheroid that the maximum in the radial epicyclic frequency occurs at $r=\sqrt{2}ae$, for eccentricities ${\ge} 1/\sqrt{2}$. We find that the nature of these characteristic frequencies differs based on the geometry of the rotating star. For an oblate spheroid, the orbits resemble retrograde Kerr orbits and the location of the radial epicyclic maximum approaches the stellar surface as the density variation inside the star becomes steeper. On the contrary, orbits around a prolate spheroid resemble prograde Kerr orbits, but the marginally stable orbit does not exist for prolate-shaped stars. The orbital frequency is larger (smaller) than the Keplerian value for an oblate (prolate) star with the equality attained as e → 0 or r → ∞. The radial profiles of the angular velocity and the angular momentum allow for a stable accreting disc around any nature of oblate/prolate spheroid.