Reexamining constraints on neutron star properties from perturbative QCD

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Author: Zhou, Dake
Format: Preprint
Published: 2023
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author Zhou, Dake
author_facet Zhou, Dake
contents The implications of perturbative QCD (pQCD) calculations on neutron stars are carefully examined. While pQCD calculations above baryon chemical potentials $μ_B\simeq2.4$ GeV demonstrate the potential of ruling out a wide range of neutron star equations of state (EOSs), such constraints only affect the most massive neutron stars in the vicinity of the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff (TOV) limit, resulting in constraints that are orthogonal to current or expected astrophysical bounds. In the most constraining scenario, pQCD considerations favor low values of the squared speed sound $C_s$ at high $μ_B$ relevant for the most massive neutron stars, but leave predictions of the radii and tidal deformabilities almost unchanged. Such considerations become irrelevant if the maximum speed of sound squared inside neutron stars does not exceed about $C_{s,\mathrm{max}}\simeq0.5$, or if pQCD breaks down below $μ_B\simeq2.9$ GeV. Furthermore, the large pQCD uncertainties preclude any meaningful bounds on the neutron star EOS at the moment. Interestingly, if pQCD predictions for the pressure at around $μ_B\simeq2.5$ GeV are refined and found to be low ($\lesssim 1.5$ GeV/fm$^3$), evidence for a soft neutron star inner core EOS in combination with the existence of two-solar-mass pulsars would indicate the presence of color superconductivity beyond neutron star densities. We point out that two-solar-mass pulsars place robust upper bounds on this non-perturbative effect and require the pairing gap to be less than $Δ_\mathrm{CFL}\lesssim500$ MeV at $μ_B\simeq2.5$ GeV.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2307_11125
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Reexamining constraints on neutron star properties from perturbative QCD
Zhou, Dake
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
Nuclear Theory
The implications of perturbative QCD (pQCD) calculations on neutron stars are carefully examined. While pQCD calculations above baryon chemical potentials $μ_B\simeq2.4$ GeV demonstrate the potential of ruling out a wide range of neutron star equations of state (EOSs), such constraints only affect the most massive neutron stars in the vicinity of the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff (TOV) limit, resulting in constraints that are orthogonal to current or expected astrophysical bounds. In the most constraining scenario, pQCD considerations favor low values of the squared speed sound $C_s$ at high $μ_B$ relevant for the most massive neutron stars, but leave predictions of the radii and tidal deformabilities almost unchanged. Such considerations become irrelevant if the maximum speed of sound squared inside neutron stars does not exceed about $C_{s,\mathrm{max}}\simeq0.5$, or if pQCD breaks down below $μ_B\simeq2.9$ GeV. Furthermore, the large pQCD uncertainties preclude any meaningful bounds on the neutron star EOS at the moment. Interestingly, if pQCD predictions for the pressure at around $μ_B\simeq2.5$ GeV are refined and found to be low ($\lesssim 1.5$ GeV/fm$^3$), evidence for a soft neutron star inner core EOS in combination with the existence of two-solar-mass pulsars would indicate the presence of color superconductivity beyond neutron star densities. We point out that two-solar-mass pulsars place robust upper bounds on this non-perturbative effect and require the pairing gap to be less than $Δ_\mathrm{CFL}\lesssim500$ MeV at $μ_B\simeq2.5$ GeV.
title Reexamining constraints on neutron star properties from perturbative QCD
topic High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
Nuclear Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.11125