Nuclear Matter Equation Of State Research Articles

Effects of Induced Surface Tension in Nuclear and Hadron Matter

Short range particle repulsion is rather important property of the hadronic and nuclear matter equations of state. We present a novel equation of state which is based on the virial expansion for the multicomponent mixtures with hard-core repulsion. In addition to the hard-core repulsion taken into account by the proper volumes of particles, this equation of state explicitly contains the surface tension which is induced by another part of the hard-core repulsion between particles. At high densities the induced surface tension vanishes and the excluded volume treatment of hard-core repulsion is switched to its proper volume treatment. Possible applications of this equation of state to a description of hadronic multiplicities measured in A+A collisions, to an investigation of the nuclear matter phase diagram properties and to the neutron star interior modeling are discussed.

Escape and trapping of low-frequency gravitationally lensed rays by compact objects within plasma

We consider the gravitational lensing of rays emitted by a compact object (CO) within a distribution of plasma with power-law density $\propto r^{-h}$. For the simplest case of a cloud of spherically symmetric cold non-magnetized plasma, the diverging effect of the plasma and the converging effect of gravitational lensing compete with one another. When $h<2$, the plasma effect dominates over the vacuum Schwarzschild curvature, potentially shifting the radius of the unstable circular photon orbit outside the surface of the CO. When this occurs, we define two relatively narrow radio-frequency bands in which plasma effects are particularly significant. Rays in the escape window have $\omega_{0} < \omega \leq \omega_{+}$ and are free to propagate to infinity from the CO surface. To a distant observer, the visible portion of the CO surface appears to shrink as the observed frequency is reduced, and vanishes entirely at $\omega_{0}$, in excess of the plasma frequency at the CO surface. We define the anomalous propagation window for frequencies $\omega_{-}< \omega \leq \omega_{0}$. Rays emitted from the CO surface within this frequency range are dominated by optical effects from the plasma and curve back to the surface of the CO, effectively cloaking the star from distant observers. We conclude with a study of neutron star (NS) compactness ratios for a variety of nuclear matter equations of state (EoS). For $h=1$, NSs generated from stiff EoS should display significant frequency dependence in the EW, and lower values of $h$ with softer EoS can also show these effects.

Influence of Density-Dependent Coupling Constants on Equation of State of Infinite Symmetric Nuclear Matter**Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 11275073

In the mean field approximation of nonlinear relativistic σ—ω—ρ model, we have studied the influence of density-dependent coupling constants between nucleons and mesons on the equation of state (EOS) of infinite symmetric nuclear matter in different conditions. We find that the EOS of nuclear matter will become stiffer as c, d in the self-interaction of σ meson increase when the coefficients except aω in Γω, in which the opposite occurs, are fixed. On the other hand, greater values of aσ, bσ, cσ, aω, dω and smaller values of dσ, bω, cω will lead to stiffer EOS if c and d are fixed. Besides, greater values of Γσ,ω lead to stiffer EOS in high density region for the EOS with same incompressibility coefficient at saturation density.

Infinite matter properties and zero-range limit of non-relativistic finite-range interactions

We discuss some infinite matter properties of two finite-range interactions widely used for nuclear structure calculations, namely Gogny and M3Y interactions. We show that some useful informations can be deduced for the central, tensor and spin–orbit terms from the spin–isospin channels and the partial wave decomposition of the symmetric nuclear matter equation of state. We show in particular that the central part of the Gogny interaction should benefit from the introduction of a third Gaussian and the tensor parameters of both interactions can be deduced from special combinations of partial waves. We also discuss the fact that the spin–orbit of the M3Y interaction is not compatible with local gauge invariance. Finally, we show that the zero-range limit of both families of interactions coincides with the specific form of the zero-range Skyrme interaction extended to higher momentum orders and we emphasize from this analogy its benefits.

Many-body theory and Energy Density Functionals

In this paper a method is first presented to construct an Energy Density Functional on a microscopic basis. The approach is based on the Kohn-Sham method, where one introduces explicitly the Nuclear Matter Equation of State, which can be obtained by an accurate many-body calculation. In this way it connects the functional to the bare nucleon-nucleon interaction. It is shown that the resulting functional can be performing as the best Gogny force functional. In the second part of the paper it is shown how one can go beyond the mean-field level and the difficulty that can appear. The method is based on the particle-vibration coupling scheme and a formalism is presented that can handle the correct use of the vibrational degrees of freedom within a microscopic approach.

Divergence of the isospin-asymmetry expansion of the nuclear equation of state in many-body perturbation theory

The isospin-asymmetry dependence of the nuclear matter equation of state obtained from microscopic chiral two- and three-body interactions in second-order many-body perturbation theory is examined in detail. The quadratic, quartic and sextic coefficients in the Maclaurin expansion of the free energy per particle of infinite homogeneous nuclear matter with respect to the isospin asymmetry are extracted numerically using finite differences, and the resulting polynomial isospin-asymmetry parametrizations are compared to the full isospin-asymmetry dependence of the free energy. It is found that in the low-temperature and high-density regime where the radius of convergence of the expansion is generically zero, the inclusion of higher-order terms beyond the leading quadratic approximation leads overall to a significantly poorer description of the isospin-asymmetry dependence. In contrast, at high temperatures and densities well below nuclear saturation density, the interaction contributions to the higher-order coefficients are negligible and the deviations from the quadratic approximation are predominantly from the noninteracting term in the many-body perturbation series. Furthermore, we extract the leading logarithmic term in the isospin-asymmetry expansion of the equation of state at zero temperature from the analysis of linear combinations of finite differences. It is shown that the logarithmic term leads to a considerably improved description of the isospin-asymmetry dependence at zero temperature.

Variations on the excluded-volume mechanism

The conventional excluded-volume mechanism in the theoretical description of matter properties is generalized by introducing more general functional dependencies of the available volume fraction. The requirement of thermodynamic consistency governs the appearance of rearrangement contributions to thermodynamic quantities and to particle potentials. The main features of the method are studied in three examples: the dissolution of deuterons in warm and dense nuclear matter, the stiffening or softening of the nuclear matter equation of state in a relativistic mean-field model, and the effects of medium-dependent effective degeneracy factors in a Fermi gas model for quark matter.

Three-body force effect on the properties of neutron-rich nuclear matter

We review our research work on the single-particle properties and the equation of state (EOS) of isospin asymmetric nuclear matter within the framework of the Brueckner-Hartree-Fock (BHF) approach extended by including a microscopic three-body force (TBF). The TBF is shown to affect significantly the nuclear matter EOS and the density dependence of nuclear symmetry energy at high densities above the normal nuclear matter density, and it is necessary for reproducing the empirical saturation property of symmetric nuclear matter in a nonrelativistic microscopic framework. The TBF-induced rearrangement effect and the ground state (g.s.) correlation effect on the s.p. properties in neutron-rich nuclear matter are investigated. Both effects turn out to be crucial for predicting reliably the s.p. properties within the Brueckner framework. The TBF effect on nucleon superfluidity in neutron star matter and neutron stars has also been discussed.

Nuclear matter equation of state from a quark-model nucleon-nucleon interaction

Starting from a realistic constituent quark model for the nucleon-nucleon interaction, we derive the equation of state (EOS) of nuclear matter within the Bethe-Brueckner-Goldstone approach up to three-hole-line level, without need to introduce three-nucleon forces. To estimate the uncertainty of the calculations both the gap and the continuous choices for the single-particle potential are considered and compared. The resultant EOS is compatible with the phenomenological analysis on the saturation point, the incompressibility, the symmetry energy at low density and its slope at saturation, together with the high-density pressure extracted from flow data on heavy ion collisions. Although the symmetry energy is appreciably larger in the gap choice in the high-density region, the maximum neutron star masses derived from the continuous-choice EOS and the gap-choice EOS are similar and close to two solar masses, which is again compatible with recent observational data. Comparison with other microscopic EOS is presented and discussed.

Skyrme models and nuclear matter equation of state

We investigate the role of pressure in a class of generalised Skyrme models. We introduce pressure as the trace of the spatial part of the energy-momentum tensor and show that it obeys the usual thermodynamical relation. Then, we compute analytically the mean-field equation of state in the high and medium pressure regimes by applying topological bounds on compact domains. The equation of state is further investigated numerically for the charge one skyrmions. We identify which term in a generalised Skyrme model is responsible for which part in the equation of state. Further, we compare our findings with the corresponding results in the Walecka model.

A phase-space noncommutative picture of nuclear matter

Noncommutative features are introduced into a relativistic quantum field theory model of nuclear matter, the quantum hadrodynamics-I nuclear model (QHD-I). It is shown that the nuclear matter equation of state (NMEoS) depends on the fundamental momentum scale, [Formula: see text], introduced by the phase-space noncommutativity (NC). Although it is found that NC geometry does not affect the nucleon fields up to [Formula: see text], it affects the energy density, the pressure and other derivable quantities of the NMEoS, such as the nucleon effective mass. Under the conditions of saturation of the symmetric NM under consideration, the estimated value for the noncommutative parameter is [Formula: see text].

Nuclear matter equation of state including two-, three-, and four-nucleon correlations

Light clusters (mass number $A \leq 4$) in nuclear matter at subsaturation densities are described using a quantum statistical approach. In addition to self-energy and Pauli-blocking, effects of continuum correlations are taken into account to calculate the quasiparticle properties and abundances of light elements. Medium-modified quasiparticle properties are important ingredients to derive a nuclear matter equation of state applicable in the entire region of warm dense matter below saturation density. Moreover, the contribution of continuum states to the equation of state is considered. The effect of correlations within the nuclear medium on the quasiparticle energies is estimated. The properties of light clusters and continuum correlations in dense matter are of interest for nuclear structure calculations, heavy ion collisions, and for astrophysical applications such as the formation of neutron stars in core-collapse supernovae.

Constraining the nuclear matter equation of state around twice saturation density

Using FOPI data on elliptic flow in Au + Au collisions between 0.4 and 1.5A GeV we extract constraints for the equation of state (EOS) of compressed symmetric nuclear matter using the transport code IQMD by introducing an observable describing the evolution of the size of the elliptic flow as a function of rapidity. This observable is sensitive to the nuclear EOS and a robust tool to constrain the compressibility of nuclear matter up to 3ρ0.

New Bayesian analysis of hybrid EoS constraints with mass-radius data for compact stars

We suggest a new Bayesian analysis using disjunct mass and radius constraints for extracting probability measures for cold, dense nuclear matter equations of state. One of the key issues of such an analysis is the question of a deconfinement transition in compact stars and whether it proceeds as a crossover or rather as a first order transition. The latter question is relevant for the possible existence of a critical endpoint in the QCD phase diagram under scrutiny in present and upcoming heavy-ion collision experiments.

Common Approaches in Description of Ordinary Liquids

This work is an attempt to give a brief overview of the implementation of the statistical ther- modynamics to hadronic matter. The possibility to use the hydrodynamic approach for developing the physical model of the formation of exotic structures in the head-on intermediate-energy heavy ion collisions is discussed. That approach is shown to be able to provide simple analytical expressions describing each step of the collision process. This allows for extracting the data concerning nuclear matter properties (surface tension, compressibility, etc.) from the properties of observed fragments. The advantages of the thermodynamic analysis of phase trajectories of the system in heavy ion collisions are discussed. Within the thermodynamic approach, the method to evaluate the curvature correction to the surface tension from the nuclear matter equation of state is described. The possibility to use statistical thermodynamics in the studies of hadronic matter and quantum liquids is discussed.

Fast rotating neutron stars with realistic nuclear matter equation of state

We construct equilibrium configurations of uniformly rotating neutron stars for selected relativistic mean-field nuclear matter equations of state (EOS). We compute in particular the gravitational mass ($M$), equatorial ($R_{\rm eq}$) and polar ($R_{\rm pol}$) radii, eccentricity, angular momentum ($J$), moment of inertia ($I$) and quadrupole moment ($M_2$) of neutron stars stable against mass-shedding and secular axisymmetric instability. By constructing the constant frequency sequence $f=716$ Hz of the fastest observed pulsar, PSR J1748-2446ad, and constraining it to be within the stability region, we obtain a lower mass bound for the pulsar, $M_{\rm min}=[1.2$-$1.4] M_\odot$, for the EOS employed. Moreover we give a fitting formula relating the baryonic mass ($M_b$) and gravitational mass of non-rotating neutron stars, $M_b/M_\odot=M/M_\odot+(13/200)(M/M_\odot)^2$ [or $M/M_\odot=M_b/M_\odot-(1/20)(M_b/M_\odot)^2$], which is independent on the EOS. We also obtain a fitting formula, although not EOS independent, relating the gravitational mass and the angular momentum of neutron stars along the secular axisymmetric instability line for each EOS. We compute the maximum value of the dimensionless angular momentum, $a/M\equiv c J/(G M^2)$ (or "Kerr parameter"), $(a/M)_{\rm max}\approx 0.7$, found to be also independent on the EOS. We compare and contrast then the quadrupole moment of rotating neutron stars with the one predicted by the Kerr exterior solution for the same values of mass and angular momentum. Finally we show that, although the mass quadrupole moment of realistic neutron stars never reaches the Kerr value, the latter is closely approached from above at the maximum mass value, as physically expected from the no-hair theorem. In particular the stiffer the EOS is, the closer the Kerr solution is approached.

OLD NEUTRON STARS AS PROBES OF ISOSPIN-VIOLATING DARK MATTER

Isospin-violating dark matter (IVDM), which couples differently with protons and neutrons, provides a promising mechanism to ameliorate the tension among recent direct detection experiments. Assuming DM is non-interacting bosonic asymmetric IVDM, we investigate how the existence of old neutron stars limits the DM-proton scattering cross-section $\sigma_{\rm p}$, especially the effects of the isospin violating DM-nucleon interactions and the symmetry energy in the equation of state of isospin asymmetric nuclear matter. Our calculations are completely based on general relativity and especially the structure of neutron stars is obtained by solving the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equations with nuclear matter equation of state constrained by terrestrial experiments. We find that, by considering the more realistic neutron star model rather than a simple uniform neutron sphere as usual, the $\sigma_{\rm p}$ bounds from old neutron stars can be varied by more than an order of magnitude depending on the specific values of the DM neutron-to-proton coupling ratio $f_{\rm n}/f_{\rm p}$, and they can be further varied by more than a factor of two depending on the density dependence of the symmetry energy. In particular, we demonstrate that the observed nearby isolated old neutron star PSR B1257+12 can set a very strong limit on $\sigma_{\rm p}$ for low-mass DM particles ($ \le 20 \, {\rm GeV}$) that reaches a sensitivity beyond the current best limits from direct detection experiments and disfavors the DM interpretation of previously-reported positive experimental results, including the IVDM.

The isospin dependence of the nuclear force and its impact on the many-body system

A major goal of contemporary nuclear physics is to improve our knowledge of the nuclear matter equation of state. In particular, the equation of state of isospin- asymmetric matter (that is, with unequal concentrations of protons and neutrons), is not well understood, mostly due to our limited knowledge of the symmetry energy. The latter reduces the binding energy in a nucleus with unequal number of protons and neutrons, and is crucial for understanding nuclear stability. We review experimental, phenomenological, and theoretical facts about the symmetry energy. We emphasize the importance of adopting a microscopic approach towards a better understanding of this important quantity.

The Influence of the Symmetry Energy on the Structure of Hyperon Stars

The nuclear symmetry energy is a quantity especially important for neutron stars as it is directly related to the nuclear matter equation of state (EoS), which, in turn, unambiguously determines the EoS of the uniform neutron star matter. Neutron star matter is characterized by a high value of the neutron–proton asymmetry, which is settled by the β-equilibrium condition. At sufficiently high density relevant for the inner core of a neutron star the equilibrium conditions predict the appearance of additional degrees of freedom with hyperons as the most obvious candidates, thus it is expected that symmetry energy being encoded in the EoS of strangeness-rich nuclear matter influences many properties of neutron stars. Experimental determination of the symmetry energy is beset by problems that are connected with the fact that the symmetry energy is not a physical observable and the only experimentally accessible information comes from indirect measurements [1].

Constraining the nuclear matter equation of state around twice saturation density

Using data on elliptic flow measured by the FOPI collaboration we extract constraints for the equation of state (EOS) of symmetric nuclear matter with the help of the microscopic transport code IQMD. Best agreement between data and calculations is obtained with a ’soft’ equation of state including a momentum dependent interaction. From the model it can be deduced that the characteristic density related to the observed flow signal is around twice saturation density and that both compression within the fireball and the presence of the surrounding spectator matter is necessary for the development of the signal and its sensitivity to the nuclear equation of state.