Primordial Neutron Stars

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Krnjaic, Gordan, Rocha, Duncan, Xiao, Huangyu
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Krnjaic, Gordan
Rocha, Duncan
Xiao, Huangyu
author_facet Krnjaic, Gordan
Rocha, Duncan
Xiao, Huangyu
contents We propose a novel cosmological scenario in which baryonic neutron stars could plausibly form in the early universe. If baryogenesis initially produces an excessively-large baryon asymmetry, $Y_B \gg 10^{-10},$ the baryonic mass inside the horizon can exceed the minimum neutron star mass before big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN). While this large asymmetry is present, non-relativistic baryons can dominate the universe and enhanced density perturbations on small scales can gravitationally collapse Hubble patches shortly after horizon re-entry. For some initial perturbations, just below the threshold for black hole formation, this collapse will be arrested only by nuclear pressure, possibly resulting in neutron star formation. Afterwards, there must be a large entropy injection to restore the observed baryon asymmetry, $Y_B \sim 10^{-10}$, and preserve the successful predictions of standard BBN. Unlike neutron stars that form from stellar collapse, primordial neutron stars can, in principle, be as light as $\sim 0.1 M_\odot$, limited only by the nuclear equation of state.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_08651
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Primordial Neutron Stars
Krnjaic, Gordan
Rocha, Duncan
Xiao, Huangyu
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
We propose a novel cosmological scenario in which baryonic neutron stars could plausibly form in the early universe. If baryogenesis initially produces an excessively-large baryon asymmetry, $Y_B \gg 10^{-10},$ the baryonic mass inside the horizon can exceed the minimum neutron star mass before big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN). While this large asymmetry is present, non-relativistic baryons can dominate the universe and enhanced density perturbations on small scales can gravitationally collapse Hubble patches shortly after horizon re-entry. For some initial perturbations, just below the threshold for black hole formation, this collapse will be arrested only by nuclear pressure, possibly resulting in neutron star formation. Afterwards, there must be a large entropy injection to restore the observed baryon asymmetry, $Y_B \sim 10^{-10}$, and preserve the successful predictions of standard BBN. Unlike neutron stars that form from stellar collapse, primordial neutron stars can, in principle, be as light as $\sim 0.1 M_\odot$, limited only by the nuclear equation of state.
title Primordial Neutron Stars
topic Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.08651