Probing neutron star interiors and the properties of cold ultra-dense matter with the SKAO

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Main Authors: Basu, Avishek, Graber, Vanessa, Lower, Marcus E., Antonelli, Marco, Antonopoulou, Danai, Bagchi, Manjari, Char, Prasanta, Freire, Paulo C. C., Haskell, Brynmor, Hu, Huanchen, Jones, David I., Mukhopadhyay, Banibrata, Oertel, Micaela, Rea, Nanda, Sagun, Violetta, Shaw, Benjamin, Singha, Jaikhomba, Stappers, Benjamin W., Thongmeearkom, Tinn, Watts, Anna L., Weltevrede, Patrick, Group, The SKA Pulsar Science Working
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Basu, Avishek
Graber, Vanessa
Lower, Marcus E.
Antonelli, Marco
Antonopoulou, Danai
Bagchi, Manjari
Char, Prasanta
Freire, Paulo C. C.
Haskell, Brynmor
Hu, Huanchen
Jones, David I.
Mukhopadhyay, Banibrata
Oertel, Micaela
Rea, Nanda
Sagun, Violetta
Shaw, Benjamin
Singha, Jaikhomba
Stappers, Benjamin W.
Thongmeearkom, Tinn
Watts, Anna L.
Weltevrede, Patrick
Group, The SKA Pulsar Science Working
author_facet Basu, Avishek
Graber, Vanessa
Lower, Marcus E.
Antonelli, Marco
Antonopoulou, Danai
Bagchi, Manjari
Char, Prasanta
Freire, Paulo C. C.
Haskell, Brynmor
Hu, Huanchen
Jones, David I.
Mukhopadhyay, Banibrata
Oertel, Micaela
Rea, Nanda
Sagun, Violetta
Shaw, Benjamin
Singha, Jaikhomba
Stappers, Benjamin W.
Thongmeearkom, Tinn
Watts, Anna L.
Weltevrede, Patrick
Group, The SKA Pulsar Science Working
contents Matter inside neutron stars is compressed to densities several times greater than nuclear saturation density, while maintaining low temperatures and large asymmetries between neutrons and protons. Neutron stars, therefore, provide a unique laboratory for testing physics in environments that cannot be recreated on Earth. To uncover the highly uncertain nature of cold, ultra-dense matter, discovering and monitoring pulsars is essential, and the SKA will play a crucial role in this endeavour. In this paper, we will present the current state-of-the-art in dense matter physics and dense matter superfluidity, and discuss recent advances in measuring global neutron star properties (masses, moments of inertia, and maximum rotation frequencies) as well as non-global observables (pulsar glitches and free precession). We will specifically highlight how radio observations of isolated neutron stars and those in binaries -- such as those performed with the SKA in the near future -- inform our understanding of ultra-dense physics and address in detail how SKAO's telescopes unprecedented sensitivity, large-scale survey and sub-arraying capabilities will enable novel dense matter constraints. We will also address the potential impact of dark matter and modified gravity models on these constraints and emphasise the role of synergies between the SKA and other facilities, specifically X-ray telescopes and next-generation gravitational wave observatories.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2512_16162
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Probing neutron star interiors and the properties of cold ultra-dense matter with the SKAO
Basu, Avishek
Graber, Vanessa
Lower, Marcus E.
Antonelli, Marco
Antonopoulou, Danai
Bagchi, Manjari
Char, Prasanta
Freire, Paulo C. C.
Haskell, Brynmor
Hu, Huanchen
Jones, David I.
Mukhopadhyay, Banibrata
Oertel, Micaela
Rea, Nanda
Sagun, Violetta
Shaw, Benjamin
Singha, Jaikhomba
Stappers, Benjamin W.
Thongmeearkom, Tinn
Watts, Anna L.
Weltevrede, Patrick
Group, The SKA Pulsar Science Working
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
Nuclear Theory
Matter inside neutron stars is compressed to densities several times greater than nuclear saturation density, while maintaining low temperatures and large asymmetries between neutrons and protons. Neutron stars, therefore, provide a unique laboratory for testing physics in environments that cannot be recreated on Earth. To uncover the highly uncertain nature of cold, ultra-dense matter, discovering and monitoring pulsars is essential, and the SKA will play a crucial role in this endeavour. In this paper, we will present the current state-of-the-art in dense matter physics and dense matter superfluidity, and discuss recent advances in measuring global neutron star properties (masses, moments of inertia, and maximum rotation frequencies) as well as non-global observables (pulsar glitches and free precession). We will specifically highlight how radio observations of isolated neutron stars and those in binaries -- such as those performed with the SKA in the near future -- inform our understanding of ultra-dense physics and address in detail how SKAO's telescopes unprecedented sensitivity, large-scale survey and sub-arraying capabilities will enable novel dense matter constraints. We will also address the potential impact of dark matter and modified gravity models on these constraints and emphasise the role of synergies between the SKA and other facilities, specifically X-ray telescopes and next-generation gravitational wave observatories.
title Probing neutron star interiors and the properties of cold ultra-dense matter with the SKAO
topic High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
Nuclear Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.16162