Neutron stars as type-I superconductors

In a recent paper by Link, it was pointed out that the standard picture of the neutron star core composed of a mixture of a neutron superfluid and a proton type-II superconductor is inconsistent with observations of a long period precession in isolated pulsars. In the following we will show that an appropriate treatment of the interacting two-component superfluid (made of neutron and proton Cooper pairs), when the structure of proton vortices is strongly modified, may dramatically change the standard picture, resulting in a type-I superconductor. In this case the magnetic field is expelled from the superconducting regions of the neutron star, leading to the formation of the intermediate state when alternating domains of superconducting matter and normal matter coexist.     

Condensates in the Cosmos: Quantum Stabilization of the Collapse of Relativistic Degenerate Stars to Black Holes

According to prevailing theory, relativistic degenerate stars with masses beyond the Chandrasekhar and Oppenheimer–Volkoff (OV) limits cannot achieve hydrostatic equilibrium through either electron or neutron degeneracy pressure and must collapse to form stellar black holes. In such end states, all matter and energy within the Schwarzschild horizon descend into a central singularity. Avoidance of this fate is a hoped-for outcome of the quantization of gravity, an as-yet incomplete undertaking. Recent studies, however, suggest the possibility that known quantum processes may intervene to arrest complete collapse, thereby leading to equilibrium states of macroscopic size and finite density. I describe here one such process which entails pairing (or other even-numbered association) of neutrons (or constituent quarks in the event of nucleon disruption) to form a condensate of composite bosons in equilibrium with a core of degenerate fermions. This process is analogous to, but not identical with, the formation of hadron Cooper pairs that give rise to neutron superfluidity and proton superconductivity in neutron stars. Fermion condensation to composite bosons in a star otherwise destined to collapse to a black hole facilitates hydrostatic equilibrium in at least two ways: (1) removal of fermions results in a decrease in the Fermi level which stiffens the dependence of degeneracy pressure on fermion density, and (2) phase separation into a fermionic core surrounded by a self-gravitating condensate diminishes the weight which must be balanced by fermion degeneracy pressure. The outcome is neither a black hole nor a neutron star, but a novel end state, a “fermicon star,” with unusual physical properties.     

强磁场中修正URCA过程的中微子产能率

基于n-p-e模型并考虑修正URCA过程中的质子分支,研究了强磁场对中子星核心区域修正URCA过程中微子产能率的影响.结果表明,强磁场使修正URCA过程的中微子产能率产生明显振荡;与中子分支相比,强磁场对质子分支中微子产能率的影响偏弱,但是它将提高总的中微子产能率.所得结论将有助于进一步研究中子星的冷却机理. 关键词： 中子星 强磁场 修正的URCA过程     

End point of the rp process on accreting neutron stars

We calculate the rapid proton ( rp) capture process of hydrogen burning on the surface of an accreting neutron star with an updated reaction network that extends up to Xe, far beyond previous work. In both steady-state nuclear burning appropriate for rapidly accreting neutron stars (such as the magnetic polar caps of accreting x-ray pulsars) and unstable burning of type I x-ray bursts, we find that the rp process ends in a closed SnSbTe cycle. This prevents the synthesis of elements heavier than Te and has important consequences for x-ray burst profiles, the composition of accreting neutron stars, and potentially galactic nucleosynthesis of light p nuclei.     

新生中子星的性质与三体核力效应

在Brueckner-Hartree-Fock理论框架内, 研究了新生中子星的状态方程和性质, 计算了新生中子星的最大质量和新生中子星中质子占总核子数的丰度, 特别是讨论了三体核力和中微子束缚效应的影响以及三体核力和中微子束缚效应的相互影响. 结果表明, 无论是否考虑三体核力, 中微子束缚对新生中子星的状态方程和质子丰度均有明显影响. 中微子束缚导致新生中子星物质中的质子丰度显著增大. 三体核力的贡献是使新生中子星的状态方程变硬并导致新生中子星中质子丰度明显增大. 束缚在中子星物质中的中微子显著减弱了三体核力对于中子星物质中质子丰度的影响.     

均匀强磁场中中子星物质的物态方程

在Walecka模型的平均场近似下,研究了由质子、中子和电子组成的中子星物质在均匀强磁场中的性质,发现磁场增强,物态方程会在一定程度上变硬,中子所占比例显著增加,质子和电子所占比例会显著减少,磁场对物态方程的影响比它对粒子组分的影响小.本文还分别利用流体力学公式和热力学公式分别计算了中子星物质的压强,发现磁场越强,用这两种方式计算的压强越接近,当磁场为10¹⁴T时,它们完全重合.     

The Equation of State of Neutron Star Matter in Uniform Strong Magnetic Fields

The Walecka model is extended to the neutron star matter, and in it's mean field approximation, the properties of neutron star matter consisted of proton, neutron and electron in uniform strong magnetic fields are studied. it is found that the ~equation of state (eos) becomes stiffer in some degree, and the ratio of neutron increase evidently while the one of proton and electron decrease with the magnetic field being stronger. the influence of the magnetic to the eos is smaller than the one to the fractions of the particles. the pressure of the neutron star matter is calculated by hydrodynamics and thermodynamics respectively. the stronger the magnetic field is, the more adjacent the curves of pressure depicted in these two ways are, and they are in superposition completely when the magnetic field is 10¹⁴T.     

Thermal conduction across neutron star crusts and cooling of young neutron stars

We calculate thermal conduction times in the crust and core of a neutron star and find that for certain neutron star models the surface remains thermally isolated from the core at initial times. The surface temperature of a few hundred year old neutron star in these models can be insensitive to the presence of a pion-condensed core and might well be within the limits of observability of the HEAO satellite which can help to distinguish between different neutron star models.     

Quark deconfinement in neutron star cores

Whether or not the deconfined quark phase exists in neutron star cores is an open question. We use two realistic effective quark models, the three-flavor Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model and the modified quark-meson coupling model, to describe the neutron star matter. We show that the modified quark-meson coupling model, which is fixed by reproducing the saturation properties of nuclear matter, can be consistent with the experimental constraints from nuclear collisions. After constructing possible hybrid equations of state (EOSes) with an unpaired or color superconducting quark phase with the assumption of the sharp hadron-quark phase transition, we discuss the observational constraints from neutron stars on the EOSes. It is found that the neutron star with pure quark matter core is unstable and the hadronic phase with hyperons is denied, while hybrid EOSes with a two-flavor color superconducting phase or unpaired quark matter phase are both allowed by the tight and most reliable constraints from two stars Ter 5 I and EXO 0748-676. And the hybrid EOS with an unpaired quark matter phase is allowed even compared with the tightest constraint from the most massive pulsar star PSR J0751+1807.     

中子星物质中的K介子凝聚与三体核力效应

利用Brueckner-Hartree-Fock方法，计算了β稳定中子星物质的状态方程以及三体核力的影响，特别是研究了三体核力对中子星物质中K介子凝聚的影响. 结果表明三体核力对β稳定中子星物质中出现K介子凝聚的临界密度以及中子星物质中各种粒子所占的比例均有重要影响. 三体核力的主要作用是降低了中子星物质中出现K介子凝聚的临界密度并使K凝聚相中的核物质更加接近于对称核物质.     

Massive spin-1 gravity and the gravitational flux quantum

We present a derivation of the mass of the graviton inside a superconductor or other quantum coherent matter, starting from the gravitomagnetic equations and using the breaking of U(1) phase rotational symmetry of particles with a macroscopic wavefunction. We arrive at a simple and complete analytical expression for the graviton mass in terms of fundamental constants, with the mass density of the superconductor the only free parameter entering the ratio of photon-to-graviton mass. We compare predictions of our graviton mass with existing experimental data concerning the Tate-Cooper pair mass anomaly [C.J. de Matos, M. Tajmar, Physica C: Superconductivity 432 (2005) 167; J. Tate, B. Cabrera, S.B. Felch, J.T. Anderson, Phys. Rev. Lett. 62 (1989) 845]. We then go on to show that the gravitomagnetic flux through a superconducting ring is quantised and the resulting gravitationally-induced currents are measurable in the laboratory, allowing experimental access to an effect of quantised gravitational flux. We also show that phase change effects in multiply connected superconductors are due to the sum of gravitomagnetic and magnetic flux penetrating the superconductor. Finally, we speculate on the possible relevance to neutron star core formation.     

Accreting neutron stars as probes of dense matter physics

There are over 100 accreting neutron stars in our galaxy, in which matter (typically H/He) is tidally transferred from a secondary companion to the neutron star. Accretion of this matter perturbs the thermal structure of the interior away from that of an isolated cooling neutron star. In this paper. we review how this accretion induces reactions in the crust of the neutron star that keep the interior hot. If the accretion is intermittent, then the heated surface layers are directly observable when accretion stops. This heating also affects the unstable ignition of light elements in the neutron star envelope. Observations of the neutron star cooling following an accretion outburst can in principle constrain the thermal properties of the crust and core.     

Equation of State of Protoneutron Star with Trapped Neutrinos

The influence of trapped neutrinos on the proto-neutron star is studied in the framework of relativistic mean-field theory. The results show that trapped neutrinos increase proton fraction and make the equation of ๏๏ state of neutron star matter softer when neglecting hyperonic freedom, while suppress the appearance of hyperons and make the equation of state stiffer when including hyperons in the protoneutron star. The maximum mass, compared with cold neutron star which is in beta equilibrium, decreases by 0.06_{M_{\odot}} for non-strange protoneutron star while increases by 0.21_{M_{\odot}} for protoneutron star with hyperons when the relative number of trapped neutrino is 0.4.     

Isovector Scalar Field Effects in Asymmetric Nuclear Matter

Density-dependent parametrization models of the nucleon-meson coupfing constants, including the isovector scalar δ-field, are applied to asymmetric nuclear matter. The nuclear equation of state （EOS） and the neutron star properties are studied in a relativistic Lagrangian density, using the relativistic mean field （RMF） hadron theory. It is known that the δ-field in the constant coupling scheme leads to a larger repulsion in dense neutron-rich matter and to a definite splitting of proton and neutron effective masses, finally influences the stability of the neutron stars. We use density-dependent models of the nucleon-meson couplings to study the properties of neutron star matter and to reexamine the （~-field effects in asymmetric nuclear matter. Our calculation shows that the stability conditions of the neutron star matter can be improved in presence of the δ-meson in the density-dependent models of the coupling constants. The EOS of nuclear matter strongly depends on the density dependence of the interactions.     

Neutron stars with isovector scalar correlations

Neutron stars with the isovector scalar δ-field are studied in the framework of the relativistic mean-field (RMF) approach in a pure-nucleon-plus-lepton scheme. The δ-field leads to a larger repulsion in dense neutron-rich matter and to a definite splitting of proton and neutron effective masses. Both features are influencing the stability conditions of the neutron stars. Two parametrizations for the effective nonlinear Lagrangian density are used to calculate the nuclear equation of state (EOS) and the neutron star properties, and compared to correlated Dirac-Brueckner results. We conclude that in order to reproduce reasonable nuclear structure and neutron star properties within a RMF approach, a density dependence of the coupling constants is required.     

Lower limit on radius as a function of mass for neutron stars

A model-independent limit on neutron star radius as a function of mass based only on well-accepted principles is derived. We discuss our limit in connection with a recent interpretation of x-ray pulsations from SAX J1808.4-3658 as indicating a strange-star candidate, and show that this object can also be a normal neutron star, though one whose central core has very high density. The most plausible high-density phase of hadronic matter, which is also expected to be very compressible, is quark matter. So an alternative to the strange star interpretation of SAX J1808.4-3658 is that it is a hybrid neutron star.     

Magnetic flux penetration and destruction of pion condensates

We show that an external magnetic field can destroy a pion condensate or lead to a vortex ground state stimilar to the mixed phase of a type II superconductor. Critical magnetic fields, determined for the ground state phases of the sigma model, are comparable to those which may be present in neutron stars.     

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