Ultimate energy density of observable cold baryonic matter

We demonstrate that the largest measured mass of a neutron star establishes an upper bound to the energy density of observable cold baryonic matter. An equation of state-independent expression satisfied by both normal neutron stars and self-bound quark matter stars is derived for the largest energy density of matter inside stars as a function of their masses. The largest observed mass sets the lowest upper limit to the density. Implications from existing and future neutron star mass measurements are discussed.     

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.     

Beyond the Chandrasekhar limit: Structure and formation of compact stars

The concept of limiting mass, introduced by Chandrasekhar in case of white dwarfs, plays an important role in the formation and stability of compact objects such as neutron stars and black holes. Like white dwarfs, neutron stars have their own mass limit, and a compact configuration would progress from one family to the next, more dense one once a mass limit is crossed. The mass limit of neutron stars depends on the nature of nuclear forces at very high density, which has so far not been determined conclusively. This article reviews how observational determinations of the properties of neutron stars are starting to impose significant constraints on the state of matter at high density.     

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.     

Equation of state of nuclear matter and neutron stars in a hadron mass scaling frame

The equation of state for nuclear matter at finite temperature and the properties of neutron stars are studied starting from an effective Lagrangian in the framework of the relativistic mean field theory. We find that the empirical properties of nuclear matter can be reproduced if the medium effects are mainly described in terms of the Brown-Rho mass scaling on top of the Bonn potential used as the underlying bare nucleon-nucleon interaction. In particular a correct symmetry energy at saturation density is obtained. The extrapolation of the equation of state to neutron matter and some predictions for the neutron-star masses are finally discussed and compared with other nucleonic many-body approaches.PACS: 21.65. + f Nuclear matter - 21.30.Fe Forces in hadronic systems and effective interactions - 97.60.Jd Neutron stars     

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.     

Spin polarised nuclear matter and its application to neutron stars

An equation of state (EOS) of nuclear matter with explicit inclusion of a spin-isospin dependent force is constructed from a finite range, momentum and density dependent effective interaction. This EOS is found to be in good agreement with those obtained from more sophisticated models for unpolarised nuclear matter. Introducing spin degrees of freedom, it is found that it is possible for neutron matter to undergo a ferromagnetic transition at densities realisable in the core of neutron stars. The maximum mass and the surface magnetic field of the neutron star can be fairly explained in this model. Since finding quark matter rather than hadronic matter at the core of neutron stars is a possibility, the proposed EOS is also applied to the study of hybrid stars. It is found using the bag model picture that one can in principle describe both the mass as well as the surface magnetic field of hybrid stars satisfactorily.     

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.     

Isospin asymmetry in nuclei, neutron stars and heavy-ion collisions

The roles of isospin asymmetry in nuclei and neutron stars are investigated using a range of potential and field-theoretical models of nucleonic matter. The parameters of these models are fixed by fitting the properties of homogeneous bulk matter and closed-shell nuclei. We discuss and unravel the causes of correlations among the neutron skin thickness in heavy nuclei, the pressure of beta-equilibrated matter at a density of 0.1 fm^?3, and the radii of moderate mass neutron stars. The influence of symmetry energy on observables in heavy-ion collisions is summarized.     

Ideal stars and General Relativity

We study a system of differential equations that governs the distribution of matter in the theory of General Relativity. The new element in this paper is the use of a dynamical action principle that includes all the degrees of freedom, matter as well as metric. The matter lagrangian defines a relativistic version of non-viscous, isentropic hydrodynamics. The matter fields are a scalar density and a velocity potential; the conventional, four-vector velocity field is replaced by the gradient of the potential and its scale is fixed by one of the Eulerian equations of motion, an innovation that significantly affects the imposition of boundary conditions. If the density is integrable at infinity, then the metric approaches the Schwarzschild metric at large distances. There are stars without boundary and with finite total mass; the metric shows rapid variation in the neighbourhood of the Schwarzschild radius and there is a very small core where a singularity indicates that the gas laws break down. For stars with boundary there emerges a new, critical relation between the radius and the gravitational mass, a consequence of the stronger boundary conditions. Tentative applications are suggested, to certain Red Giants, and to neutron stars, but the investigation reported here was limited to homogeneous polytropes. Comparison with the results of Oppenheimer and Volkoff on neutron cores shows a close agreement of numerical results. However, in the model the boundary of the star is fixed uniquely by the required matching of the interior metric to the external Schwarzschild metric, which is not the case in the traditional approach. There are solutions for which the metric is very close to the Schwarzshild metric everywhere outside the horizon, where the source is concentrated. The Schwarzschild metric is interpreted as the metric of an ideal, limiting configuration of matter, not as the metric of empty space.     

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.     

Maximum stellar iron core mass

An analytical method of estimating the mass of a stellar iron core, just prior to core collapse, is described in this paper. The method employed depends, in part, upon an estimate of the true relativistic mass increase experienced by electrons within a highly compressed iron core, just prior to core collapse, and is significantly different from a more typical Chandrasekhar mass limit approach. This technique produced a maximum stellar iron core mass value of 269 × 10³⁰ kg (1.35 solar masses). This mass value is very near to the typical mass values found for neutron stars in a recent survey of actual neutron star masses. Although slightly lower and higher neutron star masses may also be found, lower mass neutron stars are believed to be formed as a result of enhanced iron core compression due to the weight of non-ferrous matter overlying the iron cores within large stars. And, higher mass neutron stars are likely to be formed as a result of fallback or accretion of additional matter after an initial collapse event involving an iron core having a mass no greater than 2.69 × 10³⁰ kg     

An equation of state for nuclear and higher-density matter based on relativistic mean-field theory

A model stress tensor for high-density matter based on a linearized relativistic quantum field theory is examined. The two coupling constants are fit to nuclear matter. Other properties of nuclear and neutron matter and neutron stars are then implied.     

Neutron stars including the effects of chaotic magnetic fields and anomalous magnetic moments

The relativistic mean field(RMF) FSUGold model extended to include hyperons is employed to study the properties of neutron stars with strong magnetic fields.The chaotic magnetic field approximation is utilized.The effect of anomalous magnetic moments(AMMs) is also investigated.It is shown that the equation of state(EOS)of neutron star matter is stiffened by the presence of the magnetic field,which increases the maximum mass of a neutron star by around 6%.The AMMs only have a small influence on the EOS of neutron star matter,and increase the maximum mass of a neutron star by 0.02M_(sun).Neutral particles are spin polarized due to the presence of the AMMs.     

Neutron star equation of state in density dependent relativistic Hartree-Fock theory*

The equation of state of neutron stars is studied in the newly developed density dependent relativistic Hartree-Fock (DDRHF) theory with the effective interaction PKO1 and applied to describe the properties of neutron stars. The results are compared with the recent observational data of compact stars and those calculated with the relativistic mean field (RMF) effective interactions. The maximum mass of neutron stars calculated with PKO1 is about 2.45 M☉, which consists with high pulsar mass from PSR B1516+02B recently reported. The influence of Fock terms on the cooling of neutron stars is discussed as well.     

Two-flavor hybrid stars with the Dyson-Schwinger quark model

We study the properties of two-flavor quark matter in the Dyson-Schwinger model and investigate the possible consequences for hybrid neutron stars,with particular regard to the two-solar-mass limit.We find that with some extreme values of the model parameters,the mass fraction of two-flavor quark matter in heavy neutron stars can be as high as 30 percent and the possible energy release during the conversion from nucleonic neutron stars to hybrid stars can reach 10~(52) erg.     

利用密度相关的相对论平均场理论对核物质与中子星的研究(英文)

研究和详细地比较了RMF理论中不同的有效相互作用强度的密度依赖性, 并且讨论了这种密度依赖性对于核物质和中子星性质的影响. 对于核物质, 不同的参数组给出的对称核物质的饱和点非常接近, 基本都在经验值的范围内. 对于中子星, 考虑超子后不同参数组给出的质量极限的范围为1.52—2.06 M☉, 半径为10.24—11.38 km.The density dependencies of various effective interaction strengths in the relativistic mean field and their influences on the properties of nuclear matter and neutron stars are studied and carefully compared. The differences of saturation properties given by various effective interactions are subtle in symmetric nuclear matter. The Oppenheimer Volkoff mass limits of neutron stars calculated from different equations of state are 1.52—2.06 M☉, and the radii are 10.24—11.38 km with hyperons included.     

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.     

The Properties of Pure Neutron Star

For a given equation of state of neutron matter in the relativistic σ-ω model, ๏๏๏๏๏ including the vacuum fluctuation of neutron and σ meson, the properties of pure neutron star are studied. We find that the maximum mass of pure neutron star is ～ 2.0 M_{\odot}. At the same time, the influence of incompressibility of the nuclear matter to the properties of neutron star is also studied. We also find that the maximum mass of neutron stars decreases as equation of state of neutron matter becomes softer.