Rotational modes in a uniformly rotating star

The linear adiabatic oscillations of a uniformly rotating star are examined with respect to a co-rotating frame of reference. It is shown that time-independent displacement fields are allowed and can be represented as toroidal fields. The time-dependent oscillation modes are governed by a system of differential equations of the fourth order in time for axisymmetri'c perturbations, and of the fifth order for nonaxisymmetric perturbations. Therefore, in comparison to a non-rotating spherical star, a rotating star allows a new class of non-axisymmetric oscillation modes with non-zero frequencies. These modes correspond to the r-modes, which originate from purely toroidal displacement fields in a non-rotating spherical star.For the r-modes of a slowly and uniformly rotating star, a perturbation method has been developed, with inclusion of the perturbation of the gravitational potential. It is seen that both dynamically stable and unstable r-modes do exist.