Structure and Dynamics of Compact Stars


Book Description

This book aims at providing an accessible, and yet comprehensive and self-contained discussion of compact stars. After a pedagogical introduction to the physics of white dwarfs, the bulk of the book is devoted to the analysis of the structure and dynamics of neutron stars. A great deal of emphasis is placed on the dynamical models underlying the description of neutron star matter at microscopic level. The analysis of these models is inherently cross-disciplinary - from nuclear and particle physics to astrophysics and condensed matter physics – and the relevant concepts are introduced following a didactic approach, drawing largely on the historical development of the field. The impact of the latest experimental data, such as gravitational waves emissions, and the potential of future observational developments in the new era of multimessenger astronomy are extensively discussed. This volume is intended to provide PhD students in physics and astrophysics with solid foundations for their future research career. It is also a useful tool for the broader audience of more advanced readers, working in the fields of nuclear and particle physics as well as gravitational physics.







Neutron Stars 1


Book Description

The book gives an extended review of theoretical and observational aspects of neutron star physics. With masses comparable to that of the Sun and radii of about ten kilometres, neutron stars are the densest stars in the Universe. This book describes all layers of neutron stars, from the surface to the core, with the emphasis on their structure and equation of state. Theories of dense matter are reviewed, and used to construct neutron star models. Hypothetical strange quark stars and possible exotic phases in neutron star cores are also discussed. Also covered are the effects of strong magnetic fields in neutron star envelopes.




Hot and Dense Matter in Compact Stars - From Nuclei to Quarks


Book Description

This dissertation deals with the equation of state of hot and dense matter in compact stars, with special focus on first order phase transitions. A general classification of first order phase transitions is given and the properties of mixed phases are discussed. Aspects of nucleation and the role of local constraints are investigated. The derived theoretical concepts are applied to matter in neutron stars and supernovae, in the hadron-quark and the liquid-gas phase transition. For the detailed description of the liquid-gas phase transition a new nuclear statistical equilibrium model is developed. It is based on a thermodynamic consistent implementation of relativistic mean-field interactions and excluded volume effects. With this model different equation of state tables are calculated and the composition and thermodynamic properties of supernova matter are analyzed. As a first application numerical simulations of core-collapse supernovae are presented. For the hadron-quark phase transition two possible scenarios are studied in more detail. First the appearance of a new mixed phase in a proto neutron star and the implications on its evolution. In the second scenario the consequences of the hadron-quark transition in core-collapse supernovae are investigated. Simulations show that the appearance of quark matter has clear observable signatures and can even lead to the generation of an explosion.




Physics of Neutron Star Interiors


Book Description

Neutron stars are the densest observable bodies in our universe. Born during the gravitational collapse of luminous stars - a birth heralded by spectacular supernova explosions - they open a window on a world where the state of the matter and the strengths of the fields are anything but ordinary. This book is a collection of pedagogical lectures on the theory of neutron stars, and especially their interiors, at the forefront of current research. It addresses graduate students and researchers alike, and should be particularly suitable as a text bridging the gap between standard textbook material and the research literature.




Pulsars as Astrophysical Laboratories for Nuclear and Particle Physics


Book Description

Pulsars, generally accepted to be rotating neutron stars, are dense, neutron-packed remnants of massive stars that blew apart in supernova explosions. They are typically about 10 kilometers across and spin rapidly, often making several hundred rotations per second. Depending on star mass, gravity compresses the matter in the cores of pulsars up to more than ten times the density of ordinary atomic nuclei, thus providing a high-pressure environment in which numerous particle processes, from hyperon population to quark deconfinement to the formation of Boson condensates, may compete with each other. There are theoretical suggestions of even more ""exotic"" processes inside pulsars, such as the formation of absolutely stable strange quark matter, a configuration of matter even more stable than the most stable atomic nucleus, ^T56Fe. In the latter event, pulsars would be largely composed of pure quark matter, eventually enveloped in nuclear crust matter. These features combined with the tremendous recent progress in observational radio and x-ray astronomy make pulsars nearly ideal probes for a wide range of physical studies, complementing the quest of the behavior of superdense matter in terrestrial collider experiments. Written by an eminent author, Pulsars as Astrophysical Laboratories for Nuclear and Particle Physics gives a reliable account of the present status of such research, which naturally is to be performed at the interface between nuclear physics, particle physics, and Einstein's theory of relativity.




Studying Compact Star Equation of States with General Relativistic Initial Data Approach


Book Description

This book focuses on the equation of state (EoS) of compact stars, particularly the intriguing possibility of the “quark star model.” The EoS of compact stars is the subject of ongoing debates among astrophysicists and particle physicists, due to the non-perturbative property of strong interaction at low energy scales. The book investigates the tidal deformability and maximum mass of rotating quark stars and triaxially rotating quark stars, and compares them with those of neutron stars to reveal significant differences. Lastly, by combining the latest observations of GW170817, the book suggests potential ways to distinguish between the neutron star and quark star models.







Accelerated Cosmic Expansion


Book Description

Proceedings from the 2012 Fourth International Meeting on Gravitation and Cosmology, focusing on accelerated cosmic expansion This volume provides both an update and a review of the state of alternative theories of gravity in connection with the accelerated expansion of the universe issue. Different theoretical proposals exist to explain the acceleration in the cosmic expansion, generating the dark energy issue and opening the possibility to theories of gravity alternative to general relativity. Related issues such as the dark matter problem are also surveyed in order to give the readers profound insight on the subject from different points of view. Comprised of short talks and plenary lectures given by leading experts in the field, some of them with brilliant and historic contributions, the book allows the reader to find readable and referenced surveys in topics like f(R) theories, the dark matter and dark energy issues, Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) scenarios, f(T) theories, scalar-tensor theories derived from non-Riemannian geometries, emergent universes, the cosmological constant and other topics of current interest for younger and senior physicists and graduate students. These proceedings are from the Fourth International Meeting on Gravitation and Cosmology, held in Guadalajara, Jalisco, México, from 20 - 25 May, 2012, was sponsored by ICTP- Trieste, Italy and COECyTJAL-Universidad de Guadalajara, México. This event is a series of scientific meetings started in 2004 in Cuba, focusing on current and selected topics in the fields of gravitation and cosmology.