Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

Constança Providência

Publications and source records attributed to Constança Providência.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
arXiv2019

Hadron-quark phase transition: the QCD phase diagram and stellar conversion

Different extensions of the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model, known to satisfy expected QCD chiral symmetry aspects, are used to investigate a possible hadron-quark phase transition at zero temperature and to build the corresponding binodal sections. We have shown that the transition point is very sensitive to the model parameters and that both pressure and chemical potential increase drastically with the increase of the vector interaction strength in the quark sector. Within the same framework, the possibility of quark and hybrid star formation is analyzed. The same conclusions drawn before with respect to the coexistence pressure and chemical potentials are reinforced. We conclude that even if a transition from a metastable hadronic star to a quark star is thermodinamically possible, it is either energetically forbidden or gives rise to a blackhole. Nevertheless, conversions from metastable to hybrid stars are possible, but the mass difference between both compact objects is very small, never larger than 0.2 M$_\odot$.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2018

Hyperonic stars and the symmetry energy

In the present study we analyse the effect of the density dependence of the symmetry energy on the hyperonic content of neutron stars within a relativistic mean field description of stellar matter. For the $Λ$-hyperon, we consider parametrizations calibrated to $Λ$-hypernuclei. For the $Σ$ and $Ξ$-hyperons uncertainties that reflect the present lack of experimental information on $Σ$ and $Ξ$-hypernuclei are taken into account. We perform our study considering nuclear equations of state that predict two solar mass stars, and satisfy other well settled nuclear matter properties. The effect of the presence of hyperons on the radius, the direct Urca processes, and the cooling of accreting neutron stars are discussed. We show that some star properties are affected in a similar way by the density dependence of the symmetry energy and the hyperon content of the star. To disentangle these two effects it is essential to have a good knowledge of the equation of state at supra-saturation densities. The density dependence of the symmetry energy affects the order of appearance of the different hyperons, which may have direct implications on the neutron star cooling as different hyperonic neutrino processes processes may operate at the center of massive stars. For models which allow for the direct Urca process to operate, hyperonic and purely nucleonic ones are shown to have a similar luminosity when hyperons are included in agreement with modern experimental data. It is shown that for a density dependent hadronic model constrained by experimental, theoretical and observational data, the low-luminosity of SAX J$1808.4-3658$ can only be modelled for a hyperonic NS, suggesting that hyperons could be present in its core.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2018

Magnetized QCD phase diagram: net-baryon susceptibilities

Employing the Polyakov extended Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model, we determine the net-baryon number fluctuations of magnetized three-flavor quark matter. We show that the magnetic field changes the nature of the strange quark transition from crossover to first-order at low temperatures. In fact, the strange quark undergoes multiple first-order phase transitions and several critical end points emerge in the phase diagram.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2018

Stability of the neutron-proton-electron matter under strong magnetic fields: the covariant Vlasov approach

The neutron-proton-electron(npe) matter under a strong magnetic field is studied in the context of the covariant Vlasov approach. We use a Walecka-type hadronic model and the dispersion relations for the longitudinal and transverse modes are obtained. The instability regions for longitudinal and transverse modes are also studied. The crust-core transition of a magnetized neutron star is discussed.

nucl-th↗
arXiv2018

Net baryon-number fluctuations in magnetized quark matter

The kurtosis and skewness of net baryon-number fluctuations are studied for the magnetized phase diagram of three-flavor quark matter within the Polyakov extended Nambu$-$Jona-Lasinio model. Two models with magnetic catalysis and inverse magnetic catalysis are considered. Special attention is given to their behavior in the neighborhood of the light and strange critical end points (CEPs). Several isentropic trajectories that come close the CEPs are studied in order to analyze possible signatures of a CEP in the presence of external magnetic fields. The effect of the magnetic field on the velocity of sound, $v_s^2$, when both the light and strange CEPs are approached from the crossover region is also investigated by calculating their temperature and baryon chemical potential dependencies at fixed distances from these CEPs. Regions with large fluctuations but no CEP in nonmagnetized matter develop a CEP under the action of a strong magnetic field. Besides, the Landau quantization of the quark trajectories may result in the appearance of extra CEPs, in particular, in the strange sector for strong magnetic fields, identifiable by the net baryon-number fluctuations. Stiffer (smoother) fluctuations in the region of the CEP are characteristic of models that do not predict (do predict) the inverse magnetic catalysis at zero chemical potential. Particularly interesting is the ratio $χ^4_B/χ^2_B$ that has a more pronounced peak structure, indicating that it is eventually a more convenient probe for the search of a CEP. The speed of sound shows a much richer structure in magnetized quark matter and allows one to identify both chiral and deconfinement transitions.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2018

The presence of a critical end point in the QCD phase diagram from the net-baryon number fluctuations

The net-baryon number fluctuations for three-flavor quark matter are computed within the Polyakov extended Nambu$-$Jona-Lasinio model. Two models with vanishing and nonvanishing vector interactions are considered. While the former predicts a critical end point (CEP) in the phase diagram, the latter predicts no CEP. We show that the nonmonotonic behavior of the susceptibilities in the phase diagram is still present even in the absence of a CEP. Therefore, from the nonmonotonic behavior of the susceptibilities solely, one cannot assume the existence of a CEP. We analyze other possible properties that may distinguish the two scenarios, and determine the behavior of the net-baryon number fluctuations and the velocity of sound along several isentropes, with moderate and small values. It is shown that the value of the susceptibilities ratios and the velocity of sound at two or three isentropic lines could possibly allow to distinguish both scenarios, a phase diagram with or without CEP. Smoother behaviors of these quantities may indicate the nonexistence of a CEP. We also discuss the critical behavior of the strange sector.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2018

Light clusters in warm stellar matter: explicit mass shifts and universal cluster-meson couplings

In-medium modifications of light cluster properties in warm stellar matter are studied within the relativistic mean-field approximation. In-medium effects are included by introducing an explicit binding energy shift analytically calculated in the Thomas-Fermi approximation, supplemented with a phenomenological modification of the cluster couplings to the $σ$ meson. A linear dependence on the $σ$ meson is assumed for the cluster mass, and the associated coupling constant is fixed imposing that the virial limit at low density is recovered. The resulting cluster abundances come out to be in reasonable agreement with constraints at higher density coming from heavy ion collision data. Some comparisons with microscopic calculations are also shown.

nucl-th↗
arXiv2018

Multiple critical end points in magnetized three flavor quark matter

The magnetized phase diagram for three-flavor quark matter is studied within the Polyakov extended Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model. The order parameters are analyzed with special emphasis on the strange quark condensate. We show that the presence of an external magnetic field induces several critical endpoints (CEPs) in the strange sector, which arise due to the multiple phase transitions that the strange quark undergoes. The spinodal and binodal regions of the phase transitions are shown to increase with external magnetic field strength. The influence of strong magnetic fields on the isentropic trajectories around the several CEPs is analyzed. A focusing effect is observed on the region towards the CEPs that are related with the strange quark phase transitions. Compared to the chiral transitions, the deconfinement transition turns out to be less sensitive to the external magnetic field and the crossover nature is preserved over the whole phase diagram.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2017

Magnetized QCD phase diagram: critical end points for the strange quark phase transition driven by external magnetic fields

In this work we examine possible effects of an external magnetic field in the strongly interacting matter phase diagram. The study is performed using the Polyakov-Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model. Possible consequences of the inverse magnetic catalysis effect on the phase diagram at both finite chemical potential and temperature are analyzed. We devote special emphasis on how the location of the multiple critical end points (CEPs) change in a magnetized medium: the presence of an external magnetic field induces several CEPs in the strange sector, which arise due to the multiple phase transitions that the strange quark undergoes. We also study the deconfinement transition which turns out to be less sensitive to the external magnetic field when compared to the quark phase transitions. The crossover nature of the deconfinement is preserved over the whole phase diagram.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2017

Magnetized QCD phase diagram

Using the 2+1 flavor Nambu--Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model with the Polyakov loop, we determine the structure of the QCD phase diagram in an external magnetic field. Beyond the usual NJL model with constant couplings, we also consider a variant with a magnetic field dependent scalar coupling, which reproduces the Inverse Magnetic Catalysis (IMC) at zero chemical potential. We conclude that the IMC affects the location of the Critical End Point, and found indications that, for high enough magnetic fields, the chiral phase transition at zero chemical potential might change from an analytic to a first-order phase transition.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2017

Hyperons in the pasta phase

We have investigated under which conditions hyperons (particularly $Λ$s and $Σ^-$s) can be found in the pasta phase. The larger the density and the temperature and the smaller the electron fraction the higher the probability that these particles appear but always in very small amounts. $Λ$-hyperons only occur in the gas and in smaller amounts than would occur if matter were homogeneous, never with abundancies above 10$^{-5}$. The amount of $Σ^-$ in the gas is at least two orders of magnitude smaller and can be disregarded in practical calculations.

nucl-th↗
arXiv2017

Effect of strong magnetic fields on the crust-core transition and inner crust of neutron stars

The Vlasov equation is used to determine the dispersion relation for the eigenmodes of magnetized nuclear and neutral stellar matter, taking into account the anomalous magnetic moment of nucleons. The formalism is applied to the determination of the dynamical spinodal section, a quantity that gives a good estimation of the crust-core transition in neutron stars. We study the effect of strong magnetic fields, of the order of $10^{15}-10^{17}$ G, on the extension of the crust of magnetized neutron stars. The dynamical instability region of neutron-proton-electron ($npe$) matter at subsaturation densities is determined within a relativistic mean field model. It is shown that a strong magnetic field has a large effect on the instability region, defining the crust-core transition as a succession of stable and unstable regions due to the opening of new Landau levels. The effect of the anomalous magnetic moment is non-negligible for fields larger than 10$^{15}$ G. The complexity of the crust at the transition to the core and the increase of the crust thickness may have direct impact on the properties of neutrons stars related with the crust.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2017

Light Clusters and Pasta Phases in Warm and Dense Nuclear Matter

The pasta phases are calculated for warm stellar matter in a framework of relativistic mean-field models, including the possibility of light cluster formation. Results from three different semiclassical approaches are compared with a quantum statistical calculation. Light clusters are considered as point-like particles, and their abundances are determined from the minimization of the free energy. The couplings of the light-clusters to mesons are determined from experimental chemical equilibrium constants and many-body quantum statistical calculations. The effect of these light clusters on the chemical potentials is also discussed. It is shown that including heavy clusters, light clusters are present until larger nucleonic densities, although with smaller mass fractions.

nucl-th↗
arXiv2016

Is the magnetic field making the inner crust of neutron stars more heterogeneous?

We study the effect of strong magnetic fields, of the order of $10^{15}-10^{17}$ G, on the extension of the crust of magnetized neutron stars. The dynamical instability region of neutron-proton-electron ($npe$) matter at subsaturation densities and the mode with the largest growth rate are determined within a relativistic mean field model. It is shown that a strong magnetic field has a large effect on the instability region, defining the crust-core transition as a wide density range.

nucl-th↗
arXiv2016

Two-solar-mass hybrid stars: a two model description with the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio quark model

Hybrid stars with a quark phase described by the Nambu$-$Jona-Lasinio model are studied. The hadron-quark model used to determine the stellar matter equation of state favors the appearance of quark matter: the coincidence of the deconfinement and chiral transitions and a low vacuum constituent quark mass. These two properties are essential to build equations of state that predict pure quark matter in the center of neutron stars. The effect of vector-isoscalar and vector-isovector terms is discussed, and it is shown that the vector-isoscalar terms are necessary to describe 2$M_\odot$ hybrid stars, and the vector-isovector terms result in larger quark cores and a smaller deconfinement density.

nucl-th↗
arXiv2016

Pasta phases within the QMC model

In this work the low density regions of nuclear and neutron star matter are studied. The search for the existence of pasta phases in this region is performed within the context of the quark-meson coupling (QMC) model, which incorporates quark degrees of freedom. Fixed proton fractions are considered, as well as nuclear matter in beta equilibrium at zero temperature. We discuss the recent attempts to better understand the surface energy in the coexistence phases regime and we present results that show the existence of the pasta phases subject to some choices of the surface energy coefficient. We also analyze the influence of the nuclear pasta on some neutron star properties. The equation of state containing the pasta phase will be part of a complete grid for future use in supernova simulations.

nucl-th↗