Neutron Star Equation of State with Nucleon Short-Range Correlations: A Concise Review and Open Issues

Abstract

Nucleon short-range correlations (SRCs) and the associated high-momentum tail (HMT) in its momentum distribution $n(k)$ represent a universal feature of strongly interacting Fermi systems. In nuclear matter, SRCs arise primarily from the spin-isospin dependence of the tensor and short-range components of the nucleon-nucleon interaction, leading to a substantial depletion of its Fermi sea and a characteristic $k^{-4}$ tail populated predominantly by isosinglet neutron-proton pairs. These microscopic structures modify both the kinetic and interaction contributions to the Equation of State (EOS) of dense matter and thereby influence a broad range of neutron-star (NS) properties. This short review provides a streamlined overview of how SRC-induced changes in $n(k)$ reshape the kinetic EOS, including its symmetry energy part and how these effects propagate into macroscopic NS observables, including mass-radius relations, tidal deformabilities, direct Urca thresholds and core-crust transition. We summarize key existing results, highlight current observational constraints relevant for testing SRC-HMT effects, and outline open questions for future theoretical, experimental, and multimessenger studies of dense nucleonic matter.