arXiv subjects

Nikolas Cruz-Camacho

Publications and source records attributed to Nikolas Cruz-Camacho.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Strangeness Transport in Binary Neutron Star Mergers

The presence of hyperons in the cores of neutron stars opens fast strangeness equilibration channels that can produce bulk-viscous dissipation during binary inspiral. Because these reactions coexist with electron $\beta$-equilibration, tidal compression can drive the two coupled chemical imbalances far beyond linear response. We construct the first reaction network that self-consistently evolves the electron and strangeness fractions with a four-dimensional strangeness-dependent chiral mean-field (CMF) equation of state, including nucleonic and hyperonic Urca processes and non-leptonic hyperon reactions. For periodic density perturbations, representative of inspiral oscillations, we find that rapid strangeness conversion can generate a large $\beta$-imbalance, after which slow $\beta$-equilibration bottlenecks strangeness relaxation. Rather than decaying exponentially, the coupled system consequently exhibits dynamically important algebraic decay in a far-from-equilibrium regime. At the $\rm keV$ temperatures expected during inspiral, this nonlinear response produces a broad enhancement of the effective bulk viscosity, reaching $\sim10^{31}\,\mathrm{g\,cm^{-1}\,s^{-1}}$ for $320$ Hz oscillations. A phenomenological estimate of continuous inspiral dissipation yields gravitational-wave phase shifts up to $\sim0.14$ rad for neutron stars with hyperonic cores. Self-consistent, far-from-equilibrium strangeness transport may therefore provide a dynamical probe of hyperons in neutron-star interiors.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

Studying the QCD Matter produced in Heavy-Ion Collisions using the MUSES Calculation Engine

The equation of state of hot and dense matter is essential for describing heavy-ion collisions at all collision energies. Here, we explore the capabilities of the latest version of the MUSES Calculation Engine, $\textit{Calliope}$, focusing on software modules and workflows that compute the equation of state and observable properties of the matter produced in heavy-ion collisions. These include several equations of state, ranging from first-principles lattice QCD to phenomenological approaches, with or without a critical point, and with phase-space dimensionality ranging from two dimensions defined by temperature $T$ and baryon chemical potential $\mu_B$, to four dimensions after the addition of strangeness and electric-charge chemical potentials $\mu_S$ and $\mu_Q$. We also discuss modules that provide additional thermodynamic quantities and observables relevant for heavy-ion modeling, including elements of the pressure Hessian matrix and transport coefficients. Workflow examples are constructed that merge two equations of state thermodynamically consistently to extend phase-diagram coverage, and feed the results into an equation of state inverter to produce inputs suitable for hydrodynamic simulations. Finally, we apply this framework to perform a relativistic viscous hydrodynamic simulation with equations of state with an extended $T$ and $\mu_B$ coverage and a movable critical point, including effects from transport coefficients that phenomenologically encode critical scaling, at collision energies $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=7.7, 19.6$, and $39$ GeV.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2026

Sensitivity of neutron star observables to microscopic nuclear parameters of realistic equations of state

The equation of state of matter at supranuclear densities governs the astrophysical observables of neutron stars. A realistic, though complex, description is provided by the Chiral-Mean-Field model, which depends on many microscopic nuclear-physics parameters. We present a Fisher-information-inspired analysis of the sensitivity of neutron-star observables to the parameters of the Chiral-Mean-Field model at $β$-equilibrium using SLy as a crust. We then compute neutron-star sequences and extract masses, radii, compactnesses, and tidal deformabilities. From the logarithmic derivatives of these observables with respect to each nuclear parameter, we construct a dimensionless, Fisher-inspired sensitivity matrix and perform a principal-component analysis to identify the effective combinations of nuclear parameters that most strongly affect neutron-star observables. Although the ranking depends mildly on the observable, the three most important nuclear parameters are the vacuum value of the dilaton field $χ_0$ (which sets the overall scale of the scalar potential and trace-anomaly contribution), the scalar singlet strength $g_{1}^X$ (which controls the overall scalar attraction through the baryon effective masses), and the $k_0$ quadratic scalar term (which governs the curvature of the scalar potential). This framework provides a reproducible, data-driven approach to quantify parameter sensitivities in dense-matter models and to guide future Bayesian inference of nuclear information from multi-messenger astrophysical observations.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2025

Building Neutron Stars with the MUSES Calculation Engine

Exploring the equation of state of dense matter is an essential part of interpreting the observable properties of neutron stars. We present here the first results for dense matter in the zero-temperature limit generated by the MUSES Calculation Engine, a composable workflow management system that orchestrates calculation and data processing stages comprising a collection of software modules designed within the MUSES framework. The modules presented in this work calculate equations of state using algorithms spanning three different theories/models: (1) Crust Density Functional Theory, valid starting at low densities, (2) Chiral Effective Field Theory, valid around saturation density, and (3) the Chiral Mean Field model, valid beyond saturation density. Lepton contributions are added through the Lepton module to each equation of state, ensuring charge neutrality and the possibility of $β$-equilibrium. Using the Synthesis module, we match the three equations of state using different thermodynamic variables and different methods. We then couple the complete equation of state to a novel full-general-relativity solver (QLIMR) module that calculates neutron star properties. We find that the matching performed using different thermodynamic variables affects differently the range obtained for neutron star masses and radii (although never beyond a few percent difference). We also investigate the universality of equation of state-independent relations for our matched stars. Finally, for the first time, we use the Flavor Equilibration module to estimate bulk viscosity and flavor relaxation charge fraction and rates (at low temperature) for Chiral Effective Field Theory and the Chiral Mean Field model.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2024

Phase Stability in the 3-Dimensional Open-source Code for the Chiral mean-field Model

In this paper we explore independently for the first time three chemical potentials (baryon $\mu_B$, charged $\mu_Q$, and strange $\mu_S$) in the Chiral Mean Field (CMF) model. We designed and implemented \texttt{CMF++}, a new version of the CMF model rewritten in \texttt{C++} that is optimized, modular, and well-documented. \texttt{CMF++} has been integrated into the MUSES Calculation Engine as a free and open-source software module. The runtime improved in more than 4 orders of magnitude across all 3 chemical potentials, when compared to the legacy code. Here we focus on the zero temperature case and study stable, as well as metastable and unstable, vacuum, hadronic, and quark phases, showing how phase boundaries vary with the different chemical potentials. Due to the significant numerical improvements in \texttt{CMF++}, we can now for the first time sweep the entire $\mu_B$, $\mu_S$, $\mu_Q$ phase space, investigate metastable phases, and calculate high-order susceptibilities within the CMF framework. This allows us to find phases of matter that include a light hadronic phase, a strangeness-dominated hadronic phase, and a quark phase. The numerical improvements also allow us to identify the order of the transitions among these phases, finding a first-order chiral symmetry restoration phase transition among the hadronic phases (favored for negative $\mu_Q$ and/or $\mu_S$ for some coupling schemes), in addition to third-order phase transitions. In particular, we identify for the first time triple points in the CMF model, where both chiral symmetry restoration and deconfinement phase transitions meet in the chemical potential phase space. Such points could potentially be identified in low-energy heavy-ion collisions.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2024

Theoretical and Experimental Constraints for the Equation of State of Dense and Hot Matter

This review aims at providing an extensive discussion of modern constraints relevant for dense and hot strongly interacting matter. It includes theoretical first-principle results from lattice and perturbative QCD, as well as chiral effective field theory results. From the experimental side, it includes heavy-ion collision and low-energy nuclear physics results, as well as observations from neutron stars and their mergers. The validity of different constraints, concerning specific conditions and ranges of applicability, is also provided.

nucl-th↗