Nuclear and particle astrophysics
We discuss the physics of matter that is relevant to the structure of compact stars. This includes nuclear, neutron star matter and quark matter and phase transitions between them. Many aspects of neutron star structure and its dependance on a number of physical assumptions about nuclear matter properties and hyperon couplings are investigated. We also discuss the prospects for obtaining constraints on the equation of state from astrophysical sources. Neuron star masses although few are known at present, provide a very direct constraint in as much as the connection to the equation of state involves only the assumption that Einstein's general of theory of relativity is correct at the macroscopic scale. Supernovae simulations involve such a plethora of physical processes including those involved in the evolution of the precollapse configuration, not all of them known or understood, that they provide no constraint at the present time. Indeed the prompt explosion, from which a constraint had been thought to follow, is now believed not to be mechanism by which most, if any stars, explode. In any case the nuclear equation of state is but one of a multitude on uncertain factors, and possibly one of the least important. The rapid rotation of pulsars is also discussed. It is shown that for periods below a certain limit it becomes increasingly difficult to reconcile them with neutron stars. Strange stars are possible if strange matter is the absolute ground state. We discuss such stars and their compatibility with observation. 112 refs., 37 figs., 6 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-76SF00098
- OSTI ID:
- 5393379
- Report Number(s):
- LBL-29415; CONF-9008166-2; ON: DE91016260
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Conference on structure of hadrons and hadronic matter, Dronten (Netherlands), 14-17 Aug 1990
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
GENERAL PHYSICS
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
NEUTRON STARS
EQUATIONS OF STATE
QUARK MATTER
PULSARS
SUPERNOVAE
ASTROPHYSICS
KAONS
LAGRANGIAN FUNCTION
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PIONS
RED SHIFT
BOSONS
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EQUATIONS
ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS
FUNCTIONS
HADRONS
MATTER
MESONS
PSEUDOSCALAR MESONS
STARS
STRANGE MESONS
STRANGE PARTICLES
VARIABLE STARS
640102* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
653002 - Nuclear Theory- Nuclear Matter