arXiv subjects

G. Malfatti

Publications and source records attributed to G. Malfatti.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2022

Hot Neutron Star Matter and Proto-Neutron Stars

In this chapter, we investigate the structure and composition of hot neutron star matter and proto-neutron stars. Such objects are made of baryonic matter that is several times denser than atomic nuclei and tens of thousands times hotter than the matter in the core of our Sun. The relativistic finite-temperature Green function formalism is used to formulate the expressions that determine the properties of such matter in the framework of the density-dependent mean field approach. Three different sets of nuclear parametrizations are used to solve the many-body equations and to determine the models for the equation of state of ultra-hot and dense stellar matter. The meson-baryon coupling scheme and the role of the \{Delta}(1232) baryon in proto-neutron star matter are investigated in great detail. In addition, using the non-local three-flavor Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model to describe quark matter, the hadron-quark composition of dense baryonic matter at zero temperature is discussed briefly. General relativistic models of non-rotating as well as rotating proto-neutron stars are presented in part two of our study.

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arXiv2021

Hybrid stars with sequential phase transitions: the emergence of the g$_2$ mode

Neutron stars are the densest objects in the Universe, with $M \sim 1.4 M_{\odot}$ and $R \sim 12$ km, and the equation of state associated to their internal composition is still unknown. The extreme conditions to which matter is subjected inside neutron stars could lead to a phase transition in their inner cores, giving rise to a hybrid compact object. The observation of $2M_{\odot}$ binary pulsars (PSR~J1614-2230, PSR~J0343$+$0432 and PSR~J0740$+$6620) strongly constraints theoretical models of the equation of state. Moreover, the detection of gravitational waves emitted during the binary neutron star merger, GW170817, and its electromagnetic counterpart, GRB170817A, impose additional constraints on the tidal deformability. In this work, we investigate hybrid stars with sequential phase transitions hadron-quark-quark in their cores. We assume that both phase transitions are sharp and analyse the rapid and slow phase conversion scenarios. For the outer core, we use modern hadronic equations of state. For the inner core we employ the constant speed of sound parametrization for quark matter. We analyze more than 3000 hybrid equations of state, taking into account the recent observational constraints from neutron stars. The effects of hadron-quark-quark phase transitions on the normal oscillation modes $f$ and $g$, are studied under the Cowling relativistic approximation. Our results show that, in the slow conversion regime, a second quark-quark phase transition gives rise to a new $g_2$~mode. We discuss the observational implications of our results associated to the gravitational waves detection and the possibility of detecting hints of sequential phase transitions and the associated $g_2$~mode.

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arXiv2019

Phases of Hadron-Quark Matter in (Proto) Neutron Stars

In the first part of this paper, we investigate the possible existence of a structured hadron-quark mixed phase in the cores of neutron stars. This phase, referred to as the hadron-quark pasta phase, consists of spherical blob, rod, and slab rare phase geometries. Particular emphasis is given to modeling the size othis phase in rotating neutron stars. We use the relativistic mean-field theory to model hadronic matter and the non-local three-flavor Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model to describe quark matter. Based on these models, the hadron-quark pasta phase exists only in very massive neutron stars, whose rotational frequencies are less than around 300 Hz. All other stars are not dense enough to trigger quark deconfinement in their cores. Part two of the paper deals with the quark-hadron composition of hot (proto) neutron star matter. To this end we use a local three-flavor Polyakov-Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model which includes the 't Hooft (quark flavor mixing) term. It is found that this term leads to non-negligible changes in the particle composition of (proto) neutron stars made of hadron-quark matter.

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arXiv2019

Hot quark matter and (proto-) neutron stars

In part one of this paper, we use a non-local extension of the 3-flavor Polyakov-Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model, which takes into account flavor-mixing, momentum dependent quark masses, and vector interactions among quarks, to investigate the possible existence of a spinodal region (determined by the vanishing of the speed of sound) in the QCD phase diagram and determine the temperature and chemical potential of the critical end point. In part two of the paper, we investigate the quark-hadron composition of baryonic matter at zero as well as non-zero temperature. This is of great topical interest for the analysis and interpretation of neutron star merger events such as GW170817. With this in mind, we determine the composition of proto-neutron star matter for entropies and lepton fractions that are typical of such matter. These compositions are used to delineate the evolution of proto-neutron stars to neutron stars in the baryon-mass versus gravitational-mass diagram. The hot stellar models turn out to contain significant fractions of hyperons and $Δ$-isobars but no deconfined quarks. The latter, are found to exist only in cold neutron stars.

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