GRAVITATIONAL-RADIATION FROM NONAXISYMMETRIC INSTABILITY IN A ROTATING STAR

We present the first calculations of the gravitational radiation produced by nonaxisymmetric dynamical instability in a rapidly rotating compact star. The star deforms into a bar shape, shedding approximately 4% of its mass and approximately 17% of its angular momentum. The gravitational radiation is calculated in the quadrupole approximation. For a mass M approximately 1.4M. and radius R approximately 10 km, the gravitational waves have frequency approximately 4 kHz and amplitude h approximately 2 x 10(-22) at the distance of the Virgo Cluster. They carry off energy DELTAE/M approximately 0.1% and radiate angular momentum DELTAJ/J approximately 0.7%.