QCD vacuum and hypothesis of the appearance of quark matter in the interior of stars

The problem of whether “cold” (T ≤ 10 MeV) subhadronic matter may appear in the central domain of massive neutron stars is discussed. It is shown that nontrivial properties of the QCD vacuum—namely, the existence of a quark-gluon condensate in the hadronic phase and its destruction in the transition to the quark phase—oppose so efficiently the stability of the two-phase structure of a cold star (quark center and hadronic periphery) that the probability of this configuration is very low. The loss of stability at the stage of the phase transition is expected to result in the heating of the central domain up to very high temperatures (T ≥ 100 MeV). Some seemingly enigmatic astrophysical observations and global processes that control the evolution of compact heavy stars may originate from this mechanism.     

Influence of the nuclear equation of state on the hadron-quark phase transition in neutron stars

We study the hadron-quark phase transition in the interior of neutron stars, and examine the influence of the nuclear equation of state on the phase transition and neutron star properties. The relativistic mean field theory with several parameter sets is used to construct the nuclear equation of state, while the     

Phase transitions in nucleonic matter and neutron-star cooling

A new scenario for neutron-star cooling is suggested by the correspondence between pion condensation, induced by critical spin-isospin fluctuations, and the metal-insulator phase transition in a 2D electron gas. Above the threshold density for pion condensation, the neutron single-particle spectrum acquires an insulating gap that quenches neutron contributions to neutrino production. In the liquid phase just below the transition, the fluctuations play dual roles by (i) creating a multisheeted neutron Fermi surface that extends to low momenta and activates the normally forbidden direct Urca cooling mechanism, and (ii) amplifying the nodeless P-wave neutron superfluid gap while suppressing S-wave pairing. Lighter stars without a pion-condensed core undergo slow cooling, whereas enhanced cooling occurs in heavier stars via direct Urca emission from a thin shell of the interior.     

Hypernuclear physics for neutron stars

The role of hypernuclear physics for the physics of neutron stars is delineated. Hypernuclear potentials in dense matter control the hyperon composition of dense neutron star matter. The three-body interactions of nucleons and hyperons determine the stiffness of the neutron star equation of state and thereby the maximum neutron star mass. Two-body hyperon–nucleon and hyperon–hyperon interactions give rise to hyperon pairing which exponentially suppresses cooling of neutron stars via the direct hyperon URCA processes. Nonmesonic weak reactions with hyperons in dense neutron star matter govern the gravitational wave emissions due to the r-mode instability of rotating neutron stars.     

Abnormal phase in dense neutron star matter

The possibility that neutron stars may possess an “abnormal” central region of the Lee-Wick type is discussed. It is found that when the abnormal equation of state includes quantum corrections and short-range repulsion as required in normal nuclear matter, the gravitational pressure in stable neutron stars is insufficient to induce a phase transition to abnormal matter.     

Quark stars: features and findings

Under extreme conditions of temperature and/or density, quarks and gluons are expected to undergo a deconfinement phase transition. While this is an ephemeral phenomenon at the ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collider (BNL-RHIC), quark matter may exist naturally in the dense interior of neutron stars. Here, we present an appraisal of the possible phase structure of dense quark matter inside neutron stars, and the likelihood of its existence given the current status of neutron star observations. We conclude that quark matter inside neutron stars cannot be dismissed as a possibility, although recent observational evidence rules out most soft equations of state. PACS 97.60.Jd; 26.60.+c     

天体物理、引力波及重离子碰撞中的物质

通过相对论性磁流体力学的计算知道，由双中子星合并产生的引力波对中子星内部是否存在夸克物质以及QCD物质状态方程的硬度度非常敏感。这些天文学上创造的热力学极限在20%以内跟某些快度、碰撞参数等条件下的相对论重离子碰撞产生的温度和密度相当。本文结合相对论模拟双中子星系统及实验室中重离子碰撞的结果，从而确定高密物质的状态方程和相结构。讨论了中子星合并后残留物的引力波发射，这将有助于了解夸克强子过渡的性质。     

Links between heavy ion and astrophysics

Heavy-ion experiments provide important data to test astrophysical models. The high-density equation of state can be probed in HI collisions and applied to the hot protoneutron star formed in core collapse supernovae. The parity radius experiment (PREX) aims to accurately measure the neutron radius of ²⁰⁸Pb with parity-violating electron scattering. This determines the pressure of neutron-rich matter and the density dependence of the symmetry energy. Competition between nuclear attraction and Coulomb repulsion can form exotic shapes called nuclear pasta in neutron star crusts and supernovae. This competition can be probed with multifragmentation HI reactions. We use large-scale semiclassical simulations to study nonuniform neutron-rich matter in supernovae. We find that the Coulomb interactions in astrophysical systems suppress density fluctuations. As a result, there is no first-order liquid-vapor phase transition. Finally, the virial expansion for low-density matter shows that the nuclear vapor phase is complex with significant concentrations of alpha particles and other light nuclei in addition to free nucleons.     

Pion condensation at finite temperature: (I). Mean field theory

The pion-condensed state of neutron-rich matter at finite temperature is calculated within the framework of a simple σ-model, treating the pion field as a mean field. At high densities the matter is condensed with a spatially non-uniform condensate. However, we find the unexpected result that as the density is lowered, at any finite temperature, pure neutron matter always makes a transition to a state with a spatially uniform condensate. Pure neutron matter, within mean field theory, is condensed at all non-zero temperatures and densities. Matter with a small proton fraction at zero temperature has a qualitatively similar phase diagram, except that it is normal when both the temperature and density are sufficiently low.     

致密物质性质和适用于超新星及中子星研究的状态方程(英文)

采用相对论平均场方法研究了致密物质的性质, 构造了包括较宽温度、 同位旋不对称度和密度范围的适用于超新星模拟研究的状态方程, 均匀物质由相对论平均场理论描述, 非均匀物质由托马斯 费米近似给出。讨论了包含超子自由度的中子星物质的状态方程。 计算结果表明, 包含超子可以有效地软化高密度区的状态方程, Λ超子的超流态有可能存在于大质量中子星内部。The properties of dense matter are studied within the relativistic mean field theory. The equation of state (EOS) of dense matter are constructed covering a wide range of temperature, proton fraction, and density for the use of supernova simulations. The relativistic mean field theory is employed to describe the uniform matter, while the Thomas Fermi approximation is adopted to describe the non uniform matter. The EOS of neutron star matter is discussed with the inclusion of hyperons. It is found that the EOS at high density can be significantly softened by the inclusion of hyperons. The 1S₀ superfluidity of Λ hyperons may exist in massive neutron stars.     

Phase transition to color-flavor-locked matter and condensation of Goldstone bosons in neutron star matter

Deconfinement phase transition and condensation of Goldstone bosons in neutron star matter are investigated in a chiral hadronic model (also referred as to the FST model) for the hadronic phase (HP) and in the color-flavor-locked (CFL) quark model for the deconfined quark phase. It is shown that the hadronic-CFL mixed phase (MP) exists in the center of neutron stars with a small bag constant, while the CFL quark matter cannot appear in neutron stars when a large bag constant is taken. Color superconductivity softens the equation of state (EOS) and decreases the maximum mass of neutron stars compared with the unpaired quark matter. The K⁰ condensation in the CFL phase has no remarkable contribution to the EOS and properties of neutron star matter. The EOS and the properties of neutron star matter are sensitive to the bag constant B, the strange quark mass m_s and the color superconducting gap Δ. Increasing B and m_s or decreasing Δ can stiffen the EOS which results in the larger maximum masses of neutron stars.     

Neutron stars

Neutron stars are laboratories for dense matter and gravitational physics. Observations of neutron stars from sources such as radio pulsars, low-mass X-ray binaries, X-ray bursts and thermally-emitting neutron stars are setting bounds to neutron star masses, radii, rotation rates, temperatures and ages. Mass measurements constrain the equation of state at the highest densities and set firm bounds to the highest possible density of cold matter. Radii constrain the equation of state in the vicinity of the nuclear saturation density and yield information about the density dependence of the nuclear symmetry energy. Laboratory measurements and theoretical studies of pure neutron matter are in remarkable agreement with observational bounds.     

Can quantum gravitational forces stop gravitational collapse?

We consider, in lowest order of the gravitational coupling constant G, the gravitational potential between two neutrons. As we have previously pointed out [1],the quantum (including spin) contributions to the gravitational field dominate for distances smaller than the Compton wavelength of the neutron. At such distances the gravitational force between two neutrons may be repulsive. In particular, the gravitational forces which are analogous to the familiar Darwin and Fermi forces of quantum electrodynamics are capable of stopping gravitational collapse. Our discussion is within the framework of Einstein's theory, but on a microscopic level. We conclude that gravitational collapse may be halted without the necessity of extending Einstein's theory à la Cartan or otherwise.     

An Introduction to Quark—Gluon Plasmas

It is tried to present the main features of quark-gluon plasma physics to a possible reader not so familiar with quantum chromodynamics and its extension to high temperatures, merely by looking for some analogies to usual electrodynamic plasma phenomena: The electrons correspond to the quarks, the photons to the gluons, the electromagnetic coupling to the strong coupling. However, in contrast to the ionization processes or, more general, generation processes of electrically charged particles or holes, the change from the usual hadronized state of nuclear matter to the collective quark-gluon plasma state is a first-order phase transition. The possible existence of such quark matter in the cores of massive neutron stars, at ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions and in the early state of the Universe are discussed in a verbal approximation.     

Casimir Energy in Astrophysics: Gamma-Ray Bursts from QED Vacuum Transitions

Motivated by analogous applications to sonoluminescence, neutron stars mergers are examined in the context of Schwinger's dynamical Casimir effect. When the dielectric properties of the QED vacuum are altered through the introduction of dense matter, energy shifts in the zero-point fluctuations can appear as photon bursts at gamma-ray frequencies. The amount of radiation depends upon the properties and amount of matter in motion and the suddenness of the transition. It is shown that the dynamical Casimir effect can convert sufficient energy of neutron star mergers into gamma rays. Using information extracted from simulations of matter flow in neutron star mergers by Ruffert and Janka, we estimate that the total Casimir energy released can exceed 10 ⁵³ ergs in gamma-ray frequencies. The Casimir energy approach is capable of explaining the most energetic gamma-ray bursts.     

Conventional BCS,unconventional BCS,and non-BCS hidden dineutron phases in neutron matter

The nature of pairing correlations in neutron matter is re-examined. Working within the conventional approximation in which the nn pairing interaction is provided by a realistic bare nn potential fitted to scattering data, it is demonstrated that the standard BCS theory fails in regions of neutron number density, where the pairing constant λ, depending crucially on density, has a non-BCS negative sign. We are led to propose a non-BCS scenario for pairing phenomena in neutron matter that involves the formation of a hidden dineutron state. In low-density neutron matter, where the pairing constant has the standard BCS sign, two phases organized by pairing correlations are possible and compete energetically: a conventional BCS phase and a dineutron phase. In dense neutron matter, where λ changes sign, only the dineutron phase survives and exists until the critical density for termination of pairing correlations is reached at approximately twice the neutron density in heavy atomic nuclei.     

Bubble-nucleation rates for radiatively induced first-order phase transitions

We present a consistent calculation of bubble-nucleation rates in theories of two scalar fields. Our approach is based on the notion of a coarse-grained free energy that incorporates the effects of fluctuations with momenta above a given scale k. We establish the reliability of the method for a variety of two-scalar models and confirm the conclusions of previous studies in one-field theories: Langer's theory of homogeneous nucleation is applicable as long as the expansion around the semi-classical saddle point associated with tunnelling is convergent. This expansion breaks down when the exponential suppression of the rate by the saddle-point action becomes comparable to the pre-exponential factor associated with fluctuations around the saddle point. We reconfirm that Langer's theory is not applicable to the case of weakly first-order phase transitions. We also find that the same is true in general for radiatively induced first-order phase transitions. We discuss the relevance of our results for the electroweak phase transition and the metastability bound on the Higgs-boson mass.     

K0 Condensation in Hyperonic Neutron Star Matter

In the framework of the relativistic mean field theory, we investigate K^0 condensation along with K^- condensation in neutron star matter including the baryon octet. The results show that both K^0 and K^- condensations can occur well in the core of the maximum mass stars for relatively shallow optical potentials of K^- in the range of-100 MeV～ -160 MeV. With the increasing optical potential of K^-, the critical densities of K^- decrease and the species of baryons appearing in neutron stars become fewer. The main role of K^0 condensation is to make the abundances of particles become identical leading to isospin saturated symmetric matter including antikaons, nucleons and hyperons. K^- condensation is chiefly responsible for the softening of the corresponding equation of state, which leads to a large reduction in the maximum masses of neutron stars. In the core of massive neutron stars, neutron star matter including rich particle species, such as antikaons, nucleons and hyperons, may exist.     

The gravitational field of spherically symmetric matter distributions in the Yang-Mills gauge theory of gravity

In the new SO(1,3)-gauge theory of gravity, the exterior gravitational field of any spherically symmetric equilibrium distribution of matter and non-gravitational force fields is determined by two parameters, the gravitational mass M and the structure parameter γ. We discuss the physical interpretation of the parametrized post-Newtonian parameter γ in this theory of gravity. The boundary conditions fix uniquely the values of M and γ; it turns out that γ ? 1 is a measure for the gravitational binding of the source. In the Newtonian limit, stars with negligible radiation pressure are characterized by $\text{γ=1?}\text{2}\text{3}\text{M}\text{R}$, while radiation-dominated stellar structures may even have γ > 1; the value of γ for tightly bound neutron stars of one solar mass is about 0.9.