The Nuclear Physics of Neutron Stars
- The experimental determination of nuclear symmetry energy close to and above the nuclear saturation density.
- The hyperon “puzzle”: the problem of the strong softening of the equation of state of dense matter induced by the presence of hyperons, which leads to a maximum mass value incompatible with observations.
- The Bose condensation in nuclear matter: the effects of pion and kaon condensation in the interior of neutron stars.
- Hadron–quark phase transitions in dense nuclear matter, which have implications for the structure of neutron stars.
- Determining what other phases exist in the phase diagram of dense matter at low temperatures and how we can use neutron star observations to learn about these phases.
- Hybrid stars as confirmations of phase transitions in dense nuclear matter: the twin star and backbending phenomena.
- The possible existence of a mass gap between neutron stars and black holes and its implications for the formation of neutron stars.
- The maximum and minimum masses of neutron stars; the maximum mass has implications for the minimum mass of a black hole and, consequently, the total number of stellar-mass black holes in our Universe, the progenitor mass, and the EOS of dense matter. The minimum mass is related to its formation through stellar evolution.
- The accurate measurement of the radius of a neutron star. If possible, simultaneous measurements of the masses and radii of several individual stars could pin down an EOS free from the applied nuclear model.
- Determining what limits the spin frequencies of millisecond pulsars and why; additionally, determining how effective mechanisms are for reducing the rotation speed of pulsars (r-modes, f-modes, etc.).
- Determining how rich information from a neutron star cooling curve can be used, which microscopic mechanisms are responsible for this process, and what their roles are.
- Investigating the mystery of the appearance of glitches and starquakes. What are the roles of superfluidity and the crust–core interface? What are the relevant dissipative processes?
- Studying the neutron star–dark matter admixture and its application to the existence and possible determination of dark matter in the Universe.
- Determining the origin of the strong magnetic field in neutron stars and elucidating the physics of magnetars.
- Investigating neutron star mergers as a major source of gravitational wave radiation and the roles of star structure and deformability.
- Investigating neutron star binary mergers: can they explain the creation (nucleosynthesis) and existence of heavy elements in the universe?
- The lifetime and final-stage possibilities of binary neutron star merger remnants.
- Determining the origin of X-rays on the surfaces of rapidly rotating neutron stars and the role of the strong magnetic field; investigating accreting neutron stars in binary star systems as the strongest sources of X-rays in our galaxy.
- Investigating collisions between neutron stars as sources of short gamma-ray bursts, some of the most powerful and violent explosions in the known universe. What we can learn from the interiors of neutron stars?
- Investigating exotic stars (quark stars, strange stars, pion stars, preon stars, Thorne–Zytkow objects, and gravastars): their origin, structure, observation, and verification.
Funding
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
NS | Neutron star |
EOS | Equation of state |
List of Contributions
- Kanakis-Pegios, A.; Koliogiannis, P.; Moustakidis, C.C. Probing the Nuclear Equation of State from the Existence of a Neutron Star: The GW190814 Puzzle. Symmetry 2021, 13, 183.
- Burgio, G.F.; Schulze, H.J.; Vidaña, I.; We, J.B. A Modern View of the Equation of State in Nuclear and Neutron Star Matter. Symmetry 2021, 13, 400.
- Viñas, X.; Boquera, C.G.; Centelles, M.; Mondal, C.; Robledo, L.M. Unified Equation of State for Neutron Stars Based on the Gogny Interaction. Symmetry 2021, 13, 1613.
- Oikonomou, V.K. Uniqueness of the Inflationary Higgs Scalar for Neutron Stars and Failure of Non-Inflationary Approximations. Symmetry 2022, 14, 32.
- Papavasileiou, T.; Kosmas, O.; Sinatkas, I. Relativistic Magnetized Astrophysical Plasma Outflows in Black-Hole Microquasars. Symmetry 2022, 14, 485.
- Rho, M. Mapping Topology of Skyrmions and Fractional Quantum Hall Droplets to Nuclear EFT for Ultra-Dense Baryonic Matter. Symmetry 2022, 15, 994.
- Veselský, M.; Petousis, V.; Leja, J.; Navarro, L. Universal Nuclear Equation of State Introducing the Hypothetical X17 Boson. Symmetry 2023, 15, 49.
- Rho, M. Dense Baryonic Matter Predicted in “Pseudo-Conformal Model”. Symmetry 2023, 15, 1271.
- Viñas, X.; Bano, P.; Naik, Z.; Routray, T.R. Nuclear Matter Properties and Neutron Star Phenomenology Using the Finite Range Simple Effective Interaction. Symmetry 2024, 16, 215.
- Herrera, L.; Prisco, A.D.; Ospino, J. Ghost Stars in General Relativity. Symmetry 2024, 16, 562.
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Moustakidis, C. The Nuclear Physics of Neutron Stars. Symmetry 2024, 16, 658. https://doi.org/10.3390/sym16060658
Moustakidis C. The Nuclear Physics of Neutron Stars. Symmetry. 2024; 16(6):658. https://doi.org/10.3390/sym16060658
Chicago/Turabian StyleMoustakidis, Charalampos. 2024. "The Nuclear Physics of Neutron Stars" Symmetry 16, no. 6: 658. https://doi.org/10.3390/sym16060658
APA StyleMoustakidis, C. (2024). The Nuclear Physics of Neutron Stars. Symmetry, 16(6), 658. https://doi.org/10.3390/sym16060658