Bose-Einstein condensation of anti-kaons and neutron star twins

We investigate the role of Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) of anti-kaons on the equation of state (EoS) and other properties of compact stars. In the framework of relativistic mean field model we determine the EoS for β-stable hyperon matter and compare it to the situation when anti-kaons condense in the system. We observe that anti-kaon condensates soften the EoS, thereby lowering the maximum mass of the stars. We also demonstrate that the presence of antikaon condensates in the high density core of compact stars may lead to a new mass sequence beyond white dwarf and neutron stars. The limiting mass of the new sequence stars is nearly equal to that of neutron star branch though they have distinctly different radii and compositions. They are called neutron star twins.     

Structure and cooling of compact stars

We study the structure and evolution of neutron stars (NSs), the interiors of which are modeled using microscopic approaches and constrained by the condition that the equation of state (EoS) of matter extrapolated to high densities should not contradict known observational data from compact stars and experimental data from heavy-ion collisions (HIC). We use modern cooling simulations to extract distributions of NS masses required to reproduce those of the yet sparse data in the Temperature-Age (TA) plane. By comparing the results with the mass distribution for young, nearby NSs used in population synthesis, we can sharpen the NS cooling constraints. The text was submitted by the author in English.     

Radial, sideward and elliptic flow at AGS energies

We study the baryon transverse in-plane (sideward) and elliptic flow from SIS to AGS energies for AuAu collisions in a relativistic dynamical simulation model that includes all baryon resonances up to a mass of 2 GeV as well as string degrees of freedom for the higher mass continuum. There are two factors which dominantly determine the baryon flow at these energies: the momentum dependence of the scalar and vector potentials and the resonance-string degrees of freedom. We fix the explicit momentum dependence of the nucleon-meson couplings of NL3(hard) equation of state (EoS) by the nucleon optical potential up to 1 GeV of kinetic energy. We simultaneously reproduce the sideward flow, the elliptic flow and the radial transverse mass distribution of protons data at AGS energies. In order to study the sensitivity of different mean-field EoS, we use NL2(soft) and NL23(medium) along with NL3(hard) momenta-dependent mean-field EoS. We find that to describe data on both sideward and elliptic flow, NL3 model is better at 2 A·GeV, while NL23 model is at 4–8 A·GeV.     

Sensitivity of electromagnetic spectra to equation of state and initial energy density in the Pb + Pb collisions at SPS

We study Pb + Pb collisions at 158 A GeV/c using hydrodynamical approach. We test different equations of state (EoSs) and different initial conditions and show that there are more than one initial state for each EoS which reproduce the observed hadronic spectra. We also find that different equations of state favor different freeze-out temperature. Simultaneously we calculate the thermal dilepton and photon spectra for each EoS and initial state. We compare the dilepton mass spectrum to data measured by the CERES collaboration and find that the differences in spectra obtained using different EoSs and initial states are not resolvable within the current experimental resolution. However, at invariant masses over 2 GeV the difference in the yield due to various initial states is close to an order of magnitude. We also study the rapidity distribution of lepton pairs and find that for masses around 800 MeV the shape of the distribution depends strongly on the EoS.     

Measuring neutron-star properties via gravitational waves from neutron-star mergers

We demonstrate by a large set of merger simulations for symmetric binary neutron stars (NSs) that there is a tight correlation between the frequency peak of the postmerger gravitational-wave (GW) emission and the physical properties of the nuclear equation of state (EoS), e.g., expressed by the radius of the maximum-mass Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkhoff configuration. Therefore, a single measurement of the peak frequency of the postmerger GW signal will constrain the NS EoS significantly. For optimistic merger-rate estimates a corresponding detection with Advanced LIGO is expected to happen within an operation time of roughly a year.     

利用非对称核物质状态方程对中子星的质量和半径的研究

在温度、密度及同位旋相关的核物质状态方程的基础上,通过求解Tol-man-Oppenheimer?Volkoff方程得到了中子星的质量与中心密度的关系,发现随着中心密度的变化,中子星存在一个最大质量.同时计算结果表明,中子星的最大质量与核物质状态方程的不可压缩系数、有效质量及对称能强度系数等密切相关.对中子星半径的研究表明,较硬的核物质状态方程给出的中子星半径较大,而且较大的对称能强度系数和较大的核子有效质量也会给出较大的中子星半径.     

Semi-empirical mass formula and nuclear radii

The semi-empirical mass formula is extended to include different radii for the proton and neutron distributions. By minimising the energy, the radii are determined. Our model predicts that the proton radius equals the neutron radius for all stable nuclei and that this radius has an accurate A^1/2 dependence.     

Relationship between the symmetry energy and the single-nucleon potential in isospin-asymmetric nucleonic matter

When skyrmions representing nucleons are put on crystal lattice and compressed to simulate high density, there is a transition above the normal nuclear matter density (n₀) from a matter consisting of skyrmions with integer baryon charge to a state of half-skyrmions with half-integer baryon charge. We exploit this observation in an effective field theory framework to access dense baryonic system. We find that the topology change involved in the transition implies changeover from a Fermi liquid structure to a non-Fermi liquid with the chiral condensate in the “melted-off” nucleon. The ～ 80% of the nucleon mass that remains “unmelted”, invariant under chiral transformation, points to the possible origin of the (bulk of) proton mass that is not encoded in the standard mechanism of spontaneously broken chiral symmetry. The topology change engenders a drastic modification of the nuclear tensor forces, thereby non-trivially affecting the EoS, in particular, the symmetry energy, for compact star matter. It brings in stiffening of the EoS needed to accommodate a neutron star of ～ 2 solar mass. The strong effect on the EoS in general and in the tensor force structure in particular will also have impact on processes that could be measured at RIB-type accelerators.     

Massive neutron stars and their implications

Recent observations of high mass pulsar PSRJ1614-2230 has raised serious debate over the possible role of exotics in the dense core of neutron stars. The precise measurement of mass of the pulsar may play a very important role in limiting equation of state (EoS) of dense matter and its composition. Indirectly, it may also shape our understanding of the nucleon–hyperon or hyperon–hyperon interactions which is not well known. Within the framework of an effective chiral model, we compute models of neutron stars and analyse the hyperon composition in them. Further related implications are also discussed.     

Constraints on the density dependence of the symmetry energy from heavy-ion collisions

Constraints on the equation of state (EoS) for symmetric matter (equal neutron and proton numbers) have been extracted from energetic collisions of heavy ions over a range of energies. Collisions of neutron-deficient and neutron-rich heavy ions now provide initial constraints on the EoS of neutron-rich matter at subsaturation densities from isospin diffusions and neutron proton ratios. This article reviews the experimental constraints on the density dependence of symmetry energy at subsaturation density.     

Probing the symmetry energy with heavy ions

Constraints on the EoS for symmetric matter (equal neutron and proton numbers) at supra-saturation densities have been extracted from energetic collisions of heavy ions. Collisions of neutron-deficient and neutron-rich heavy ions now provide initial constraints on the EoS of neutron-rich matter at sub-saturation densities. Comparisons are made to other available constraints.     

Baryon stopping as a signal of the mixed-phase onset

It is argued that the experimentally observed baryon stopping indicates a non-monotonous behavior as a function of the incident energy of colliding nuclei. This can be quantified by a midrapidity reduced curvature of the net-proton rapidity spectrum and reveals itself as a zigzag irregularity in the excitation function of this curvature. The three-fluid dynamic calculations with a hadronic equation of state (EoS) fail to reproduce this irregularity. At the same time, the same calculations with an EoS involving a first-order phase transition and a crossover one into the quark-gluon phase do reproduce this zigzag behavior, however only qualitatively.     

Neutron density distributions deduced from antiprotonic atoms

The differences between neutron and proton density distributions at large nuclear radii in stable nuclei were determined. Two experimental methods were applied: nuclear spectroscopy analysis of the antiproton annihilation residues one mass unit lighter than the target mass and the measurements of strong-interaction effects on antiprotonic x rays. Assuming the validity of two-parameter Fermi neutron and proton distributions at these large radii, the conclusions are that the two experiments are consistent with each other and that for neutron rich nuclei it is mostly the neutron diffuseness which increases and not the half-density radius. The obtained neutron and proton rms radii differences are in agreement with previous results.     

INDRA 能区重离子输运过程的系统研究及对称能探测

基于改进的极端相对论量子分子动力学(UrQMD) 输运模型,通过细致考察初始化、状态方程及两体碰撞等系统研究了INDRA 能区重离子碰撞后出射的自由核子及轻粒子的集体流和核阻止本领等观测量。研究发现,一个采用带动量依赖的软的状态方程及动量修正的密度依赖的核子核子弹性散射截面的动力学输运过程能够很好描述INDRA 全能域内实验获得的中心快度区的氢同位素的直接流。利用该套输运系统还研究了直接流平衡能对对称势能密度依赖强度因子的敏感性。发现,出射的自由中子平衡能敏感依赖于对称势能的密度依赖,而自由质子却不会。同时还发现,利用两Sn 同位素系列反应出射的自由中子直接流的平衡能与初始中子/质子比的关系可以很好地探测对称能的密度依赖。The terms of initialization, equation of state (EoS), and two-body collision in the updated ultrarelativistic quantum molecular dynamics (UrQMD) model are examined in details so as to systematically study the collective flows and the nuclear stopping of free nucleons and light clusters from heavy-ion collisions at INDRA energies. It is seen that at INDRA energies the dynamic transport with a soft EoS with momentum dependence and with the momentum-modified density-dependent nucleon-nucleon elastic cross sections describes the directed flow exhibited by hydrogen isotopes (Z= 1) emitted at midrapidity fairly well. The sensitivity of the balance energy (Ebal) of the directed flow to the strength parameter of the density dependence of symmetry potential energy is further studied with the same parameter set. It is found that the Ebal of neutrons from HICs is particularly sensitive to the density dependence of the symmetry potential energy, while that of protons is not. And, the initial neutron/proton ratio dependence of the balance energy of neutrons from Sn isotopes can be taken as a useful probe to constrain the stiffness of the nuclear symmetry energy.     

Structures of rotating traditional neutron stars and hyperon stars in the relativistic $\sigma-\omega$ model

The influence of rotation on the total masses and radii of neutron stars is calculated by Hartles slow-rotation formalism, while the equation of state is considered in a relativistic - model. As the changes of the mass and radius of a real neutron star caused by rotation are very small in comparison with the total mass and radius, one can see that Hartles approximate method is rational to deal with the rotating neutron stars. If three property values, mass, radius and period, are observed for the same neutron star, then the EOS of this neutron star could be decided entirely.Received: 7 November 2003, Revised: 17 February 2004, Published online: 31 August 2004PACS: 04.40.Dg Relativistic stars: structure, stability, and oscillations - 95.30.Sf Relativity and gravitation - 97.10.Kc Stellar rotation - 97.60.Jd Neutron stars     

Pesponse of the Neutron Star Properties to the Equation of State at Low Density

Using the RMF theory to describe the neutron liquid region in the neutron star and the Fermi gas model or FMT, BPS,and BBP model to describe the crust of the neutron star (referred as Fermi gas+RMF and RMF* respectively),the properties of the neutron star are calculated and compared with those from the RMF theory. Although the EOS at low density has negligible influence on the maximum mass of the neutron star, and its corresponding central density, energy density, and pressure, it changes the mass-radius relationship of neutron stars considerably. The differences of the neutron star radius corresponding to maximum mass between the RMF theory and RMF* calculations are 0.23-0.33 km.     

中子星可观测量与不同密度段核物质状态方程的关联

中子星物质主要是由高密度非对称核物质组成。目前通过地面重离子碰撞等实验来认识高密度非对称核物质的物态还存在很大的不确定性。随着对中子星天文观测精度的提高以及可观测量的增多,基于对中子星的天文观测来反向约束高密度非对称核物质物态成为了可能。从理论上去探讨中子星的可观测量与不同密度段物态方程的关联程度,将有助于上述反向对中子星物质物态的研究。本文利用分段式多方物态方程,通过对中子星的半径(R)、潮汐形变参数($\varLambda$)、转动惯量(I)等可观测量的计算分析,给出了这些观测量与物态方程各密度段的关联度。结果表明,质量为1.4$ M_{\odot}$的典型中子星潮汐形变参数($\varLambda$)和f-模频率($\nu$)主要与$ 0.5\rho_{\rm{sat}} \sim 1.5\rho_{\rm{sat}}$、$ 2.5\rho_{\rm{sat}} \sim 3.5\rho_{\rm{sat}}$和$3.5\rho_{\rm{sat}} \sim $$ 4.5\rho_{\rm{sat}}$ 三个密度段物态方程有较强关联;中子星半径(R)主要与$ 1.5\rho_{\rm{sat}} \sim 3.5\rho_{\rm{sat}}$及壳层物态有较强关联;转动惯量(I)与$ 4.5\rho_{\rm{sat}}$以下各密度段均有一定关联。     

Slowly rotating neutron stars and hadronic stars in the chiral SU(3) quark mean-field model

The equations of state for neutron matter, strange and non-strange hadronic matter in the chiral SU(3) quark mean-field model are applied in the study of slowly rotating neutron stars and hadronic stars. The radius, mass, moment of inertia, and other physical quantities are carefully examined. The effect of the nucleon crust for the strange hadronic star is exhibited. Our results show that the rotation can increase the maximum mass of compact stars significantly. For a big enough mass of pulsars which cannot be explained as strange hadronic stars, theoretical approaches to increase the maximum mass are addressed.     

Structure of neutron stars in R-squared gravity

The effects implied for the structure of compact objects by the modification of General Relativity (GR) produced by the generalization of the Lagrangian density to the form $f(R)=R+\alpha R^2$ , where $R$ is the Ricci curvature scalar, have been recently explored. It seems likely that this squared-gravity may allow heavier Neutron Stars (NSs) than GR. In addition, these objects can be useful to constrain free parameters of modified-gravity theories. The differences between alternative gravity theories are enhanced in the strong gravitational regime. In this regime, because of the complexity of the field equations, perturbative methods become a good choice to treat the problem. Following previous works in the field, we performed a numerical integration of the structure equations that describe NSs in $f(R)$ -gravity, recovering their mass-radius relations, but focusing on particular features that arise from this approach in the profiles of the NS interior. We show that these profiles run in correlation with the second-order derivative of the analytic approximation to the Equation of State (EoS), which leads to regions where the enclosed mass decreases with the radius in a counter-intuitive way. We reproduce all computations with a simple polytropic EoS to separate zeroth-order modified gravity effects.