Donutization Inside Neutron Stars: Shell-Localized Scalar Fields

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Kuan, Hao-Jui, Lam, Alan Tsz-Lok, Noronha-Hostler, Jacquelyn, Yunes, Nicolás
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Kuan, Hao-Jui
Lam, Alan Tsz-Lok
Noronha-Hostler, Jacquelyn
Yunes, Nicolás
author_facet Kuan, Hao-Jui
Lam, Alan Tsz-Lok
Noronha-Hostler, Jacquelyn
Yunes, Nicolás
contents Heavy scalar fields ($m_ϕ\gtrsim10^{-9}$ eV) in scalar-tensor gravity are expected to be hidden from neutron-star observations because their Compton wavelength is sub-stellar. We show that neutron stars can nevertheless scalarize by forming a shell-localized profile, suppressed at their center and exterior but peaked in their interior. This \emph{donutization} reshapes the effective equation of state, making hadronic stars mimic quark-star mass-radius behavior or hybrid-star behavior with split stable branches, and breaks the $I$--$Q$ relation, while remaining hidden from binary pulsar observations.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_26228
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Donutization Inside Neutron Stars: Shell-Localized Scalar Fields
Kuan, Hao-Jui
Lam, Alan Tsz-Lok
Noronha-Hostler, Jacquelyn
Yunes, Nicolás
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
Heavy scalar fields ($m_ϕ\gtrsim10^{-9}$ eV) in scalar-tensor gravity are expected to be hidden from neutron-star observations because their Compton wavelength is sub-stellar. We show that neutron stars can nevertheless scalarize by forming a shell-localized profile, suppressed at their center and exterior but peaked in their interior. This \emph{donutization} reshapes the effective equation of state, making hadronic stars mimic quark-star mass-radius behavior or hybrid-star behavior with split stable branches, and breaks the $I$--$Q$ relation, while remaining hidden from binary pulsar observations.
title Donutization Inside Neutron Stars: Shell-Localized Scalar Fields
topic General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.26228