arXiv subjects

Ilídio Lopes

Publications and source records attributed to Ilídio Lopes.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Intrinsic pressure anisotropy in spherical Proca stars

Pressure anisotropy in relativistic stars is commonly prescribed through a phenomenological closure, obscuring its microscopic origin and relation to stress-energy conservation. Here it is derived directly from the minimally coupled Einstein-complex-Proca theory. For spherical Proca stars, the principal-pressure difference admits an exact on-shell form whose sign is controlled solely by the local mass-shell threshold. The stress is radially dominated in the core, reverses on a surface of fixed gravitational redshift, and becomes tangentially dominated in the envelope. At the first mass maximum, the fractional anisotropy reaches about 21% near the density maximum, whilst the region beyond the reversal contains about 9% of the mass. Its exact atmospheric limit is approximately 24%, equal in magnitude and opposite in sign to the scalar-boson-star limit. Because the usual local fluid variables remain non-zero at the crossing, no sign-definite closure constructed from them can reproduce the profile. These results identify an intrinsically vectorial stress reversal, generated without additional interactions, and provide a first-principles benchmark for anisotropic bosonic compact objects.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2026

Screened Scalar Hair and the Weak-Lensing Separation of Black Holes from Neutron Stars in Quadratic $f(R)$ Gravity

Quadratic $f(R)$ gravity carries a massive scalar degree of freedom, the scalaron, whose finite range $λ$ screens its influence on the geometry outside a compact object. We show that this screening severs the exterior of a black hole from that of a neutron star of the same mass. The correction to the Schwarzschild metric is Yukawa-suppressed, falling as $e^{-r/λ}$ instead of polynomially in the coupling, and is thus invisible to any expansion in powers of that coupling; also, the exterior is intrinsically isotropic, so that inverting the temporal potential alone, as in single-potential solutions, fails to solve ]field equations. Applying the Gauss-Bonnet theorem to this geometry, we find the leading deflection angle to be exactly the general-relativistic $4GM/b$, the scalaron contributions cancelling identically in the combination that bends light. The first correction carries the unfamiliar signature $λ^{-1/2}b^{-3/2}e^{-b/λ}$, screened beyond the scalaron range and confirmed against direct quadrature to around 20% at $b=4λ$, improving to 7% at $b=12λ$. What survives is not a difference of degree but of kind. The three ingredients that deliver it, non-analyticity in the coupling, the intrinsically isotropic gauge and the pressure-weighted scalar charge, are here obtained within a single, self-consistent derivation for the first time. A static black hole carries no scalar hair, and lenses precisely as GR requires; a neutron star acquires a scalar charge weighted by the pressure supporting it against collapse, and does not. Weak lensing hence closes as a discriminant of the theory, whilst the horizon, as against a material surface, remains one in principle. The observational advantage lies not in bending angles at large $b$ but in the strong-field imaging of the photon sphere, and in the stellar interior, where the scalar charge is fixed by EoS.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2026

Weak gravitational lensing by a dark-matter-admixed neutron star: a self-consistent two-fluid halo and the Gauss--Bonnet deflection angle

We compute the weak gravitational deflection of light by a neutron star that carries a self-consistent dark-matter component, in the regime in which the dark matter forms an "extended halo" reaching beyond the baryonic surface. Two observations motivate this configuration. First, a dark-matter core confined within the baryonic radius leaves no distinctive lensing signature, since by Birkhoff's theorem the exterior is Schwarzschild with the total mass, so a ray passing outside the star feels only that mass and the compactness it implies. Second, the signature we seek resides in the complementary case, in which the ray genuinely traverses the halo, so that the surrounding density enters the optical geometry directly. We model the star by integrating the coupled two-fluid Tolman--Oppenheimer--Volkoff equations, with the baryonic and dark components interacting solely through gravity, and we obtain the deflection angle from the resulting external profile through the Gibbons--Werner construction of the Gauss--Bonnet theorem. The defining feature of the approach is that the deflection is tied to a "self-consistent" two-fluid profile rather than to a medium inserted by hand. We show that, for impact parameters smaller than the halo radius, the deflection departs measurably from the point-mass prediction, the deficit being governed by the dark-matter fraction and the halo extent, and we argue that the "shape" of this deficit furnishes a geometric, lensing-based handle on the degeneracy between dark matter and the nuclear equation of state. The framework thereby unites the structural modelling of compact stars with their gravitational-lensing phenomenology.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

General-relativistic structure of two-component quantum dark fermion stars

We develop a general-relativistic framework for two-component quantum dark fermion stars: equilibrium configurations of two degenerate fermion species governed by gravity, a Yukawa-mediated dark fifth force and a globally relevant Bohm quantum-pressure correction. The treatment retains the full covariant form of the nonlinear Klein--Gordon equation in the Schwarzschild interior, with closure relations valid at arbitrary compactness, from the ultralight baseline up to densities of order $0.16\,\mathrm{fm}^{-3}$ at which relativistic scalar densities and self-consistent effective fermion masses become unavoidable. Two Lagrangian parameters, the dark-fermion mass and the dimensionless ratio between the Yukawa channel and gravity, together fix the equilibrium structure; a joint measurement of mass and radius therefore constrains the dark-sector microphysics directly from gravitational-wave observables. For particle masses in the band $10^{-11}$--$10^{-10}$ eV, the configurations exhibit radii of $3$-$24\,\mathrm{km}$ and compactness in the range $0.14$-$0.34$, behaving as dual mimickers: at moderate compactness they overlap with neutron stars in mass, radius, and inspiral frequency; at the most compact end ($κ\sim 0.34$, $R_T/R_S\simeq 1.5$) they cross the photon sphere and could masquerade as low-mass black holes in the mass-gap region. Tidal-deformability measurements discriminate against both populations: the dimensionless tidal deformability is measurably smaller than the neutron-star value yet remains non-zero, unlike that of a genuine black hole. These objects populate the sensitivity bands of LISA, the Einstein Telescope, and Cosmic Explorer, producing astrometric microlensing signatures individually resolvable by \textit{Gaia}. The framework thus provides a reproducible and falsifiable template for constraining dark-sector properties through multi-messenger observations.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

How plasma coupling and convective-zone depth shape the rotation of solar-mass stars

Stellar rotation on the main sequence is a complex function of mass and age, displaying multiple regimes whose physical origin remains only partially understood. In particular, the connection between the diversity of observed rotation rates and the internal structure and thermodynamic properties of stellar interiors is still unclear. We investigated how the depth of the convective zones and the degree of plasma coupling, quantified through the plasma coupling parameter, relate to the observed rotation rates of solar-mass stars. We used a grid of $1 \, M_\odot$ MESA stellar models with a wide range of metallicities to identify the best-matching models for 243 main-sequence stars with measured rotation periods. We then examined correlations between their rotation rates and both the structural properties of the convective zones and the corresponding convective plasma coupling parameter. For this sample, rotation rates show only weak correlations with either the convective-zone depth or the plasma coupling parameter when considered independently. However, during the first two-thirds of the main-sequence lifetime, the correlation strengthens when both factors are considered jointly through a combined convective coupling index, indicating a moderate and statistically significant relationship. For older stars, these correlations weaken and lose significance, although the thermodynamic component becomes relatively more influential. These trends suggest that microphysical plasma properties may contribute to the regulation of angular momentum loss and may be connected to the onset of weakened magnetic braking.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2026

Rotational Behaviour of Exotic Compact Objects

We construct exotic compact objects composed entirely of self-interacting asymmetric fermionic dark matter governed by a repulsive Yukawa potential with massive dark interaction boson. By considering the structural, tidal, and rotational properties of solar mass self-gravitating dark matter systems, and contrasting them against purely baryonic neutron stars, described by the well understood SLy4 equation of state, we hope to shed some light on the place of dark compact systems in the context of gravitational wave astronomy, specifically due to the difficulty parsing mass and radius data from events with no electromagnetic counterpart. Here we consider systems composed of 1 GeV and 10 GeV dark matter. Relevant compact objects are then analysed and simulated as both static bodies, and rotating systems governed by the Hartle-Thorne formalism to second order. Here within we highlight the differences in key tidal and rotational properties encoded in gravitational wave signals, and analyse how dark objects may mimic or distinguish themselves to current and future gravitational wave observatories.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

Color-superconducting quarkyonic matter

We explore the role of color superconductivity in quarkyonic matter under the conditions of color and electric neutrality at $β$- and strong equilibrium, as relevant for neutron stars. By explicitly incorporating the color-superconducting pairing gap into the phenomenological model of a smooth transition from hadron to quark matter, we extend the known quarkyonic framework to include this essential aspect relevant at high densities. The momentum dependence of the pairing gap, motivated by the running of the QCD coupling and introduced similarly to chiral quark models with nonlocal interaction, is a novel element of the model that is crucial for enabling the simultaneous onset of all color-flavor quark states in the presence of color superconductivity. While asymptotically conformal behavior of the present model is ensured by construction, we demonstrate that reaching the conformal limit in agreement with the predictions of perturbative QCD is provided by the proper momentum dependence of the thickness of the hadron shell in momentum space. We employ the flexible meta-modeling approach to nuclear matter, analyzing the structure of the hadron shell in momentum space and focusing on the effects of color superconductivity in quarkyonic matter. Similar to the effects induced by the onset of the quarkyonic phase, color superconductivity leads to stiffening of the equation of state of the NS matter. This causes a significant impact on observable properties of neutron stars, which are analyzed and compared to recent astrophysical and theoretical constraints. We argue that the developed model of color-superconducting quarkyonic matter provides a new, consistent tool for studying the scenario of smooth quark-hadron transition in NSs.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2025

Rapidly Spinning Massive Pulsars as an Indicator of Quark Deconfinement

We study rotating hybrid stars, with particular emphasis on the effect of spin on the deconfinement phase transition and star properties. Our analysis is based on a hybrid equation of state with a phase transition from hadronic matter containing hyperons to color-superconducting quark matter, where the quark phase is modeled within a relativistic density functional approach. By varying the strength of the vector repulsion and diquark pairing couplings in the microscopic quark Lagrangian, we construct a set of hybrid star sequences with different quark-matter onset densities. This framework ensures consistency with astrophysical and gravitational wave constraints on mass, radius, and tidal deformability.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2025

Screening Mechanisms on White Dwarfs: Symmetron & Dilaton

This work provides the first comparison of the symmetron and dilaton fields in white dwarfs. We show how these screening mechanisms behave inside {such stars} and their impact on stellar properties. Employing a custom-developed shooting method, we solve the scalar-tensor equilibrium equations in the Newtonian approximation. We consider a Chandrasekhar equation of state and examine a range of potential mass scales and coupling strengths for both fields. Both fields enhance the pressure drop in low-density white dwarfs, leading to smaller stellar masses, radii, and luminosities. Unlike chameleon models, their effects are suppressed in more massive stars, with symmetron fields fully decoupling and dilaton fields weakening but not vanishing. Consequently, no mass-radius curve for screened white dwarfs exceeds the Newtonian prediction in any of these three mechanisms. The mass-radius deviations are generally more pronounced at lower densities, depending on model parameters. Due to their common runaway potential, we confirm that dilaton and chameleon fields display similar field and gradient profiles. In contrast, due to their environment-dependent coupling, the dilaton and symmetron mechanisms exhibit stronger density-dependent screening effects. These findings highlight both phenomenological differences and theoretical similarities among these mechanisms, motivating asteroseismology studies to constrain the symmetron and dilaton parameter spaces.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Radial Oscillations in Hybrid Stars with Slow Quark Phase Transition

This study investigates the radial oscillations of hybrid neutron stars, characterized by a composition of hadronic external layers and a quark matter core. Utilizing a density-dependent relativistic mean-field model that incorporates hyperons and baryons for describing hadronic matter, and a density-dependent quark model for quark matter, we analyze the ten lowest eigenfrequencies and their corresponding oscillation functions. Our focus lies on neutron stars with equations-of-state involving N, N + $Δ$, N + H, and N + H + $Δ$, featuring a phase transition to quark matter. Emphasizing the effects of a slow phase transition at the hadron-quark interface, we observe that the maximum mass is attained before the fundamental mode's frequency decreases for slow phase transitions. This observation implies the stability of stellar configurations with higher central densities than the maximum mass, called Slow Stable Hybrid Stars (SSHSs), even under small radial perturbations. The length of these SSHS branch depends upon the energy density jump between two phases and the stiffness of the quark EoS.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2024

Tidal Love numbers of anisotropic stars within the complexity factor formalism

We compute the quadrupolar gravitoelectric tidal Love numbers of spherical configurations made of anisotropic matter. Anisotropies are introduced within the vanishing complexity factor, while interior solutions are obtained adopting the Extended Chaplygin gas equation-of-state. A comparison with a more conventional approach is made as well.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

A study of the electrostatic properties of the interiors of low-mass stars: Possible implications for the observed rotational properties

In the partially ionized material of stellar interiors, the strongest forces acting on electrons and ions are the Coulomb interactions between charges. The dynamics of the plasma as a whole depend on the magnitudes of the average electrostatic interactions and the average kinetic energies of the particles that constitute the stellar material. An important question is how these interactions of real gases are related to the observable stellar properties. Specifically, the relationships between rotation, magnetic activity, and the thermodynamic properties of stellar interiors are still not well understood. In this study, we investigate the electrostatic effects within the interiors of low-mass main sequence (MS) stars. Specifically, we introduce a global quantity, a global plasma parameter, which allows us to compare the importance of electrostatic interactions across a range of low-mass theoretical models ($0.7 - 1.4 \, M_\odot$) with varying ages and metallicities. We then correlate the electrostatic properties of the theoretical models with the observable rotational trends on the MS. We use the open-source 1D stellar evolution code MESA to compute a grid of main-sequence stellar models. Our models span the $\log g - T_{\text{eff}}$ space of a set of 66 Kepler main-sequence stars. We identify a correlation between the prominence of electrostatic effects in stellar interiors and stellar rotation rates. The variations in the magnitude of electrostatic interactions with age and metallicity further suggest that understanding the underlying physics of the collective effects of plasma can clarify key observational trends related to the rotation of low-mass stars on the MS. These results may also advance our understanding of the physics behind the observed weakened magnetic braking in stars.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

Structural Implications of the Chameleon Mechanism on White Dwarfs

We study the impact of the chameleon mechanism on the structure of white dwarfs. Using a shooting method of our design, we solve the corresponding scalar-tensor equilibrium equations for a Chandrasekhar equation of state, exploring various energy scales and couplings of the chameleon field to matter. For the considered parameter ranges, we find the chameleon field to be in a thick-shell configuration, identifying for the first time in the literature a similarity relation of the theory for the radially normalised scalar field gradient. Our analysis reveals that the chameleon mechanism alters the internal pressure of white dwarfs, leading to a reduction in the stellar radii and masses and shifting the mass-radius curves below those predicted by Newtonian gravity. This lowers also the specific heat of white dwarfs, accelerating their cooling process. Finally, we derive parametric expressions from our results to expedite future analyses of white dwarfs in scalar-tensor theories.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Constraints on the Axion-Photon Coupling Using Stellar Modelling

Asteroseismology has been shown to be, together with stellar modelling, an invaluable tool in constraining properties of novel physics. In this work, we study for the first time the influence of axionic production in the evolution of a late main-sequence star, comparing computational models with observational data in order to constrain the axion-photon $g_{aγ}$ coupling parameter. We first perform a high-precision calibration of a stellar model to our target star, in order to obtain a benchmark for our other diagnostics. We then apply a two-stage test, first using global quantities and then resorting to precision seismic ratios. We find that seismology allows us to place an independent upper bound of $g_{aγ} \leq 0.98\times 10^{-10} $ GeV$^{-1}$ at a $68\%$ confidence level (CL), in the same order of magnitude as both the most recent constraints from the observation of globular clusters and previous bounds obtained through stellar modelling, but more stringent than most current direct axion detections. We also suggest a more conservative limit of $g_{aγ} \leq 1.38\times 10^{-10} $ GeV$^{-1}$ at a $95\%$ CL. Moreover, this new diagnostic method can be applied to stellar data that will be obtained in future asteroseismic projects.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

Bosonic dark matter dynamics in hybrid neutron stars

This research studies the intricate interplay between dark and baryonic matter within hybrid neutron stars enriched by anisotropic bosonic dark matter halos. Our modelling, guided by the equation of state with a free parameter, reveals diverse mass-radius correlations for these astronomical objects. A pivotal result is the influence of dark matter characteristics - whether condensed or dispersed - on the observable attributes of neutron stars based on their masses. Our investigation into anisotropic models, which offer a notably authentic representation of dark matter anisotropy, reveals a unique low-density core halo profile, distinguishing it from alternative approaches. Insights gleaned from galactic clusters have further refined our understanding of the bosonic dark matter paradigm. Observational constraints derived from the dynamics of galaxy clusters have been fundamental in defining the dark matter particle mass to lie between 0.05 GeV and 0.5 GeV and the scattering length to range from 0.9 fm to 3 fm. Using terrestrial Bose-Einstein condensate experiments, we have narrowed down the properties of bosonic dark matter, especially in the often overlooked 3 to 30 GeV mass range. Our findings fortify the understanding of dark and baryonic matter synergies in hybrid neutron stars, establishing a robust foundation for future astrophysical pursuits.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

Linking solar bosonic dark matter halos and active neutrinos

Our study investigates the complex interaction between active neutrinos and the ultralight bosonic dark matter halo surrounding the Sun. This halo extends over several solar radii due to the Sun's gravitational field, and we represent it as a coherent oscillating classical field configuration of bosonic dark matter particles that vary in time. Our investigation has revealed that, based on the available solar neutrino flux data, these novel models do not surpass the performance of the conventional neutrino flavour oscillation model. Furthermore, we discuss how next-generation solar neutrino detectors have the potential to provide evidence for the existence or absence of the ultralight dark matter halo.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Quark Models and Radial Oscillations: Decoding the HESS J1731-347 Compact Object's Equation of State

We investigate the peculiar nature of strange stars through an analysis of different quark models, i.e. vBag model and CFL model equation of states at different parameter sets, and focus on understanding the equation of state governing the intriguing central compact object (CCO) within the supernova remnant HESS J1731-347, with a mass and radius of $M = 0.77^{+0.20}_{-0.17} M_{\odot}$ and $R = 10.4^{+0.86}_{-0.78}$ km, respectively. Additionally, we compare the radial oscillations of two models to determine the frequency of the HESS J1731-347 compact object at its maximum mass. The frequencies of radial oscillations are computed for each of the four EoSs considered. In total, the 10 lowest radial frequencies for each of those EoSs have been computed. By delving into these aspects, we aim at deepening our understanding of strange stars and their connection to the observed HESS J1731-347 mass-radius relationship.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

Exploring nonstandard quark interactions through solar neutrino studies

We investigate the effects of a Non-Standard Interaction (NSI) extension of the standard model of particle physics on solar neutrino flavour oscillations. This NSI model introduces a $U_{Z^\prime}(1)$ gauge symmetry through a $Z^\prime$ boson that mixes with the photon, creating a neutral current between active neutrinos and matter fields via a unique coupling to up and down quarks. The interaction is defined by a single parameter, $ζ_o$, which is related to the $Z^\prime$ boson's mass $m_{Z^\prime}$ and coupling constant $g_{Z^\prime}$. Notably, this model relaxes the bounds on Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering experiments and fits the experimental values of the anomalous magnetic dipole moment of the muon. In this study, we use solar neutrino measurements and an up-to-date standard solar model to evaluate the neutrino flavour oscillations and assess the constraints on $ζ_o$. Our study indicates that the NSI model aligns with the current solar neutrino data when $ζ_o$ is between $-0.7$ and $0.002$. These models have $χ^2_ν$ values equal to or better than the standard neutrino flavor oscillation model, which stands at a $χ^2_ν$ of 3.12. The best NSI model comes with a $ζ_o$ value of -0.2 and a $χ^2_ν$ of 2.96. Including extra data from the Darwin experiment in our analysis refines the range of $ζ_o$ values from $-0.7$ to $0.002$, down to $-0.5$ to $-0.002$. These results hint at the possible existence of novel interactions, given that NSI models achieve a comparable or superior fit to the solar neutrino data when contrasted with the prevailing standard model of neutrino flavour oscillation.

hep-ph↗