Structure in the speed of sound: from neutron stars to heavy-ion collisions

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Yao, Nanxi, Sorensen, Agnieszka, Dexheimer, Veronica, Noronha-Hostler, Jacquelyn
Format: Preprint
Published: 2023
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author Yao, Nanxi
Sorensen, Agnieszka
Dexheimer, Veronica
Noronha-Hostler, Jacquelyn
author_facet Yao, Nanxi
Sorensen, Agnieszka
Dexheimer, Veronica
Noronha-Hostler, Jacquelyn
contents From the observation of both heavy neutron stars and light ones with small radii, one anticipates a steep rise in the speed of sound of nuclear matter as a function of baryon density up to values close to the causal limit. A question follows whether such behavior of the speed of sound in neutron-rich matter is compatible with the equation of state extracted from low-energy heavy-ion collisions. In this work, we consider a family of neutron star equations of state characterized by a steep rise in the speed of sound, and use the symmetry energy expansion to obtain equations of state applicable to the almost-symmetric nuclear matter created in heavy-ion collisions. We then compare collective flow data from low-energy heavy-ion experiments with results of simulations obtained using the hadronic transport code SMASH with the mean-field potential reproducing the density-dependence of the speed of sound. We show that equations of state featuring a peak in the speed of sound squared occurring at densities between 2-3 times the saturation density of normal nuclear matter, producing neutron stars of nearly M_max~2.5 M_Sun, are consistent with heavy-ion collision data.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2311_18819
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Structure in the speed of sound: from neutron stars to heavy-ion collisions
Yao, Nanxi
Sorensen, Agnieszka
Dexheimer, Veronica
Noronha-Hostler, Jacquelyn
Nuclear Theory
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
From the observation of both heavy neutron stars and light ones with small radii, one anticipates a steep rise in the speed of sound of nuclear matter as a function of baryon density up to values close to the causal limit. A question follows whether such behavior of the speed of sound in neutron-rich matter is compatible with the equation of state extracted from low-energy heavy-ion collisions. In this work, we consider a family of neutron star equations of state characterized by a steep rise in the speed of sound, and use the symmetry energy expansion to obtain equations of state applicable to the almost-symmetric nuclear matter created in heavy-ion collisions. We then compare collective flow data from low-energy heavy-ion experiments with results of simulations obtained using the hadronic transport code SMASH with the mean-field potential reproducing the density-dependence of the speed of sound. We show that equations of state featuring a peak in the speed of sound squared occurring at densities between 2-3 times the saturation density of normal nuclear matter, producing neutron stars of nearly M_max~2.5 M_Sun, are consistent with heavy-ion collision data.
title Structure in the speed of sound: from neutron stars to heavy-ion collisions
topic Nuclear Theory
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.18819