We numerically investigate global properties of rotating neutron stars using the allowed band of QCD equations of state derived by Kurkela et al. This band is constrained by chiral effective theory at low densities and perturbative QCD at high densities, and is thus, in essence, a controlled constraint from first-principles physics. Previously, this band of equations of state was used to investigate non-rotating neutron stars only; in this work, we extend these results to any rotation frequency below the mass-shedding limit. We investigate mass--radius curves, allowed mass--frequency regions, radius--frequency curves for a typical 1.4-solar-mass star, and the values of the moment of inertia of the double pulsar PSR J0737-3039A, a pulsar whose moment of inertia may be constrained observationally in a few years. We present limits on observational data coming from these constraints, and identify values of observationally-relevant parameters that would further constrain the allowed region for the QCD equation of state. We also discuss how much this region would be constrained by a measurement of the moment of inertial of the double pulsar PSR J0737-3039A.
I discuss why state-of-the art perturbative QCD calculations of the equation of state at large chemical potential that are reliable at asymptotically high densities constrain the same equation of state at neutron-star densities. I describe how these theoretical calculations affect the EOS at lower density. I argue that the ab-initio calculations in QCD offer significant information about the equation of state of the neutron-star matter, which is complementary to the current astrophysical observations.
In this contribution, I discuss the utility that perturbative QCD offers in studying the matter in the cores of neutron stars. I discuss the reasons why perturbative QCD can constrain the equation of state at densities far below the densities where we can perform controlled calculations. I discuss how perturbative QCD can inform nuclear modelling of neutron stars and how it influences equation-of-state inference. And finally, I discuss the implications to the QCD phase diagram and argue that interesting features in the equation of state revealed by the QCD input may be used to argue for the ex…
In the Ginzburg-Landau limit, a possible texture without singular cores in a rotating neutron spin-triplet superfluid is studied. It is constructed the lattice of non-singular vortices with a vorticity diffusely distributed over the entire unit cell. The upper limit of the free energy associated with this structure is estimated, and the result shows that non-singular vortices are more preferable in the core of rotating neutron stars than ordinary linear singular vortices. The order parameter of the studied neutron system belongs to the unitary class. This implies that the superfluid under cons…
Neutron stars are cosmic laboratories to study dense matter in Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD). The observable mass-radius relations of neutron stars are determined by QCD equations of state, and can reflect the properties of QCD phase transitions. In the last decade there have been historical discoveries in neutron stars, the discoveries of two-solar mass neutron stars and neutron star merger events, which have imposed tight constraints on equations of state. While a number of equations of state are constructed to satisfy these constraints, a theoretical challenge is how to reconcile those const…
Quasiradial oscillations of rotating hybrid neutron stars
Central China Normal University(华中师范大学);Hubei University of Education(湖北教育学院);China University of Geosciences(中国地质大学);Huazhong University of Science and Technology(华中科技大学);INFN Sezione di Catania(意大利国家核物理研究所卡塔尼亚分部);Universitá di Catania(卡塔尼亚大学)
In the last few decades, lots of universal relations between different global physical quantities of neutron stars have been proposed to constrain the unobservable or hard to be observed properties of neutron stars. But few of them are related to the gravitational redshift or the gravitational binding energy, especially for the fast rotating neutron stars. Here we will focus on the universal relations related to these two quantities. Based on 11 equations of state (EOSs) from the predictions of microscopic nuclear many-body theories for normal or hybrid neutron stars, we proposed a set of new …
The rotating neutron star properties are studied with a phase transition to quark matter. The density-dependent relativistic mean-field model (DD-RMF) is employed to study the hadron matter, while the Vector-Enhanced Bag model (vBag) model is used to study the quark matter. The star matter properties like mass, radius,the moment of inertia, rotational frequency, Kerr parameter, and other important quantities are studied to see the effect on quark matter. The maximum mass of rotating neutron star with DD-LZ1 and DD-MEX parameter sets is found to be around 3$M_{\odot}$ for pure hadronic phase an…
We find a class of twisted and differentially rotating neutron star magnetospheres that do not have a light cylinder, generate no wind and thus do not spin-down. The magnetosphere is composed of embedded differentially rotating flux surfaces, with the angular velocity decreasing as $Ω\propto 1/r$ (equivalently, becoming smaller at the foot-points closer to the axis of rotation). For each given North-South self-similar twist profile there is a set of self-similar angular velocity profiles (limited from above) with a "smooth", dipolar-like magnetic field structure extending to infinity. For spin…
Rotation causes an increase in a neutron star's mass and equatorial radius. The mass and radius depend sensitively on the unknown equation of state (EOS) of cold, dense matter. However, the increases in mass and radius due to rotation are almost independent of the EOS. The EOS independence leads to the idea of neutron star universality. In this paper, we compute sequences of rotating neutron stars with constant central density. We use a collection of randomly generated EOS to construct simple correction factors to the mass and radius computed from the equations of hydrostatic equilibrium for n…
The Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) is currently observing the x-ray pulse profiles emitted by hot spots on the surface of rotating neutron stars allowing for an inference of their radii with unprecedented precision. A critical ingredient in the pulse profile model is an analytical formula for the oblate shape of the star. These formulas require a fitting over a large ensemble of neutron star solutions, which cover a wide set of equations of state, stellar compactnesses and rotational frequencies. However, this procedure introduces a source of systematic error, as (i) the fi…
The prediction of the equation of state of hot, dense nuclear matter is one of the most complicated and interesting problems in nuclear astrophysics. At the same time, knowledge of it is the basic ingredient for some of the most interesting studies. In the present work, we concentrate our study on the construction of the equation of state of hot, dense nuclear matter, related mainly to the interior of the neutron star. We employ a theoretical nuclear model, which includes momentum-dependent interaction among the nucleons, along with the \textit{state-of-the-art} microscopic calculations. Therm…
Modeling surface radiation of rotating neutron stars with Monk-NS
Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences(中国科学院上海天文台);National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences(中国科学院国家天文台)
We study the thermal evolution of axisymmetric rotating neutron stars in full general relativity. To this aim we develop "NSCool 2D Rot", a major upgrade of the 1D neutron stars thermal evolution code "NSCool" by D. Page. As a first application of our new code we address the standard cooling of isolated neutron stars with rotation frequencies up to the mass shedding limit. We investigate the effects of the equation of state (EOS) by considering different combinations of core and crust EOSs. The results indicate complex time-dependent evolution of temperature distribution throughout the whole v…
Highly magnetized neutron stars are promising candidates to explain some of the most peculiar astronomical phenomena, for instance, fast radio bursts, gamma-ray bursts, and superluminous supernovae. Pulsations of these highly magnetized neutron stars are also speculated to produce detectable gravitational waves. In addition, pulsations are important probes of the structure and equation of state of the neutron stars. The major challenge in studying the pulsations of highly magnetized neutron stars is the demanding numerical cost of consistently solving the nonlinear Einstein and Maxwell equatio…
Constraining the Neutron Star Mass-Radius Relation and Dense Matter Equation of State with NICER. II. Emission from Hot Spots on a Rapidly Rotating Neutron Star
We perform the first magnetohydrodynamic simulations in full general relativity of self-consistent rotating neutron stars (NSs) with ultrastrong mixed poloidal and toroidal magnetic fields. The initial uniformly rotating NS models are computed assuming perfect conductivity, stationarity, and axisymmetry. Although the specific geometry of the mixed field configuration can delay or accelerate the development of various instabilities known from analytic perturbative studies, all our models finally succumb to them. Differential rotation is developed spontaneously in the cores of our magnetars whic…
General Relativistic effect on the energy deposition rate for neutrino pair annihilation above the equatorial plane along the symmetry axis near a rotating neutron star
In this paper, we discuss the influence of the gravitational darkening effect on the emergent spectrum of a fast-rotating, flattened neutron star. Model atmosphere codes always calculate spectra of emergent intensities and fluxes emitted from the unit surface on the star in plane-parallel geometry. Here we took a step beyond that and calculated a small sample grid of theoretical spectra integrated over the distorted surface of a sample rotating neutron star seen by a distant observer at various inclination angles. We assumed parameters like two dimensionless angular velocities $\barΩ^2=0.30$ a…