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Tobias Frederico

Publications and source records attributed to Tobias Frederico.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Electromagnetic form factors of vector mesons in Einstein-dilaton holographic QCD

We investigate the electromagnetic form factors of the $ρ$ meson family within a holographic QCD framework based on Einstein-dilaton gravity with confining backgrounds. We obtain the elastic and transition form factors using a spectral decomposition of the three-point isospin current correlator and an independent approach based on the Kaluza-Klein expansion. Furthermore, we establish a holographic dictionary of the current matrix element. The elastic form factors are in agreement with available lattice QCD results, whereas the transition form factors, not yet determined within lattice QCD, are predictions of the model. For the elastic case, the electric form factor for the $ρ$ meson family exhibits a zero at $q^{2} = 6\, m_{ρ^{n}}^{2}$ and in particular for the ground state $q^{2} = 3.61\,\text{GeV}^{2}$, consistent with light-front and Dyson-Schwinger calculations. We also compute strong couplings between vector meson states and find some approximate selection rules. In the elastic case and low-$q^{2}$ regime, we calculate dimensionless electric radius, magnetic and quadrupole moments and compare with other approaches. In the high-$q^{2}$ regime, the form factors follow the expected scaling behavior, and the model predicts their asymptotic normalization. The results in the high-$q^{2}$ regime lead to superconvergence relations and establish a new sum rule involving masses, decay constants and couplings.

hep-ph

A self-consistent single-fluid framework for neutron stars admixed with mirror dark matter

We develop a self-consistent dark matter admix neutron star framework based on a contact vector current--current interaction that couples the chemical potentials of both sectors through mutual mean-field shifts, with the dark matter (DM) fraction $F_D = N_D/N_B$ fixed as a global input parameter. This formulation provides a physically motivated alternative to fixed-density prescriptions, allowing the local DM density to follow the baryonic matter (BM) density throughout the stellar interior. As an application, we consider a mirror-DM scenario with exact symmetry between the dark and visible sectors and investigate NS matter using the NL3$ωρ$, FSU2R, NL3, and DDME2 equations of state (EOSs). We find that the amount of DM introduced through $F_D$ weakens the binding of dense matter, reduces its incompressibility, and softens the EOS, while the DM--BM interaction governs the microscopic behavior of the DM in the dense BM medium. Consequently, DM increases the central density and compactness of NSs, lowers their maximum masses, and shifts the onset of the direct Urca process to higher stellar densities. As a consequence, the onset of rapid cooling is shifted to more massive stars for models with a stiff symmetry energy and to less massive stars for models with a soft symmetry energy, depending on the extra compactness that results from the DM admixture. These results demonstrate that mirror-DM admixtures modify both the microscopic composition and macroscopic structure of NSs, with potential implications for their thermal evolution and multimessenger observational signatures.

astro-ph.HE

Variational neural-network solution of the two-body $^{17}\mathrm{F}$ proton-halo problem with a Coulomb--Whittaker tail

We present a variational artificial neural-network (VANN) solution of $^{17}$F in a two-body $^{16}$O$+p$ potential model. The calculation uses a standard interaction from the literature as a controlled benchmark for testing whether a neural variational ansatz can reproduce not only bound-state energies and interior wave functions, but also the Coulomb--Whittaker tails that control halo and peripheral-capture observables. The reduced radial wave function is obtained by minimizing the Rayleigh quotient of the radial Schrödinger Hamiltonian with the constraints required by each partial wave. Because the variational energy can converge before the asymptotic normalization is correct, the ansatz combines a neural interior with the charged-particle Coulomb--Whittaker form. In the $s_{1/2}$ channel, the Pauli-forbidden $0s_{1/2}$ component is computed and the physical one-node branch is checked independently for forbidden-state contamination. The Coulomb--Whittaker-constrained VANN reproduces independent Numerov benchmarks for the compact $d_{5/2}$ ground state and the extended $s_{1/2}$ halo state in energy, nodes, rms radius, and overlap. The compact-state ANC agrees to within one percent, while the halo ANC differs by about $4.2\%$, within the larger numerical sensitivity of the asymptotic extraction. The continuum scattering states are obtained by standard Numerov integration with Coulomb matching; only the bound states are represented by the neural ansatz. Combined with these $p$-wave scattering states, the VANN bound states yield astrophysical $S$ factors consistent with published benchmarks and data within the accuracy of the adopted two-body model. The results demonstrate the usefulness of physically constrained neural wave functions for tail-sensitive nuclear calculations and identify the asymptotic region as the most sensitive part of the calculation.

nucl-th

Halo structure of $^6$He from $\textit{ab initio}$ two-nucleon spatial correlations

We evaluate pairwise correlations using ground state wave functions for $^4$He and $^6$He obtained by $\textit{ab initio}$ no-core shell model calculations with the Daejeon16 nucleon-nucleon interaction plus Coulomb interaction, to characterize the structures of these two systems. We demonstrate that two-nucleon spatial correlations, specifically the pair-number operator $r^0$ and the square-separation operator $r^2$ projected on two-body spin $S$ and isospin $z$ components encode important details of the halo structure of $^6$He. We also analyze the single-particle state occupancies and the two-body state occupancies for the ground state of $^4$He and $^6$He. Our results indicate that the two valence neutrons in the ground state of $^6$He dominantly form a spin-singlet configuration. The rms pair separations between core nucleons and halo neutrons of $^6$He are, on average, about 80% larger than pair separations within the swollen and off-centered "$α$ core". We show that this off-centering effect is primarily responsible for the observed increase in point-proton radius $r_p$ in $^6$He relative to $^4$He.

nucl-th

Rotational enhancement and stability of protoquark stars during thermal evolution

We present the first systematic study of rigidly rotating protoquark stars based on isentropic equations of state (EOS) within the density-dependent quark mass (DDQM) framework. Using a quasi-static equilibrium approach, we follow the Kelvin--Helmholtz evolution from hot, lepton-rich matter to a cold, catalyzed quark star (QS). Rotation substantially enhances the maximum stable mass (by up to $\sim 40\%$), equatorial radius, and key rotational observables, with the ratio of rotational kinetic to gravitational potential energy, $T_{\rm kin}/|W|$, reaching $0.18$--$0.19$ near the Keplerian limit, indicating a heightened susceptibility to gravitational-wave--emitting instabilities. Thermal evolution introduces a clear ordering: all stellar properties peak during the lepton-rich stages and decrease monotonically as the star cools. Compared to hadronic stars, rotating proto-QSs exhibit larger radii, higher moments of inertia, and stronger quadrupolar deformation, producing a distinct signature in the mass--radius--spin plane. The EOS parameters are constrained using current astrophysical observations, including mass--radius measurements from HESS~J1731--347 and PSR~J0030+0451, the high-mass constraint from PSR~J0740+6620, and mass-radius constraints inferred from GW170817. The results demonstrate that future multimessenger observations must account for both thermal history and rotation to identify quark matter (QM) in compact stars robustly.

astro-ph.HE

Nuclear matter and proton parton distributions in a light-front Hamiltonian framework

We develop a light-front Hamiltonian formulation of symmetric nuclear matter within the quark-meson coupling model, using Basis Light-Front Quantization to solve the in-medium nucleon eigenvalue problem. The Hamiltonian incorporates confinement in the valence sector and is truncated to include up to one dynamical gluon. Medium effects are introduced via scalar and vector mean fields, yielding a self-consistent, density-dependent effective quark mass and modified nucleon structure. The resulting energy per nucleon, pressure, and incompressibility are consistent with empirical constraints at the saturation point. At nuclear saturation density, the gluon probability in the nucleon wave function increases slightly, while the valence probability and quark momentum fraction decrease. The unpolarized quark and gluon distributions show a noticeable enhancement at large momentum fraction ($x \gtrsim 0.4$), illustrated at an evolved scale of $Q^{2} = 10 \mathrm{GeV}^{2}$.

hep-ph

Baryon Bethe-Salpeter Equation in Minkowski-Space QCD$_2$

We study the three-quark ladder Bethe--Salpeter equation in Minkowski-space QCD$_2$ in the light-cone gauge. Using the quasi-potential expansion, we project the baryon equation onto the light front and show that, at leading order in the valence truncation, the resulting mass-squared eigenvalue equation is equivalent to the Bars--Durgut equation. We also derive the endpoint power-law behavior of the valence wave function in terms of the quark mass and coupling, closely paralleling the original 't Hooft analysis for mesons. The resulting three-quark equation is solved numerically for $N_c=3$, and the ground-state baryon mass is found to be in reasonable agreement with previous light-cone quantization results in QCD$_2$, suggesting that the valence sector provides the dominant contribution to the ground state. The excited-state spectrum further yields a Regge trajectory that captures the overall trend of the experimental nucleon spectrum, and we compute selected structure observables, including parton distribution functions, double distribution amplitudes, and coordinate-space densities. This framework provides a useful confining test bed for Minkowski-space bound-state methods and for future developments toward confining formulations in 3+1 dimensions beyond the valence truncation.

hep-ph

Rotational effects in quark stars: comparing different models

We investigate the rotational properties of self-bound strange quark stars using two representative quark matter equations of state (EOS): the vector MIT bag model and the density-dependent quark mass (DDQM) model. Through general-relativistic calculations of uniformly rotating sequences, we analyze their mass--radius relations, moments of inertia, quadrupole moments, surface redshifts, Keplerian frequencies, and energy components. A central result of this work is the full decomposition of the stellar energy budget in rotating strange stars, separating gravitational, internal, rotational, and binding energy contributions. Rotation amplifies the intrinsic EOS differences: the MIT model supports more massive ($M_{\max} \gtrsim 3.3\,M_\odot$) compact stars with larger moments of inertia and greater resistance to deformation, while the DDQM model produces larger radii, less massive stars limited by mass-shedding at lower frequencies. Combined measurements of mass, radius, and frequency can thus break the EOS degeneracy; massive, rapidly rotating pulsars favors MIT-like EOS, whereas larger radii in canonical stars point to a DDQM-like model. These rotational observables, soon to be tightly constrained by NICER and next-generation gravitational-wave detectors, offer a means to test the existence and composition of self-bound quark matter in compact stars.

astro-ph.HE

Dark Matter Heating in Evolving Proto-Neutron Stars: A Two-Fluid Approach

Neutron stars (NSs) provide a unique laboratory to probe dark matter (DM) through its gravitational imprint on stellar evolution. We use a two-fluid framework with non-annihilating, asymmetric DM, both fermionic and bosonic, that interacts with ordinary matter (OM) solely through gravity. Within this framework, we track protoneutron stars (PNSs) across their thermal and compositional evolution via quasi-static modeling over the Kelvin--Helmholtz cooling timescale. We uncover a distinct thermal signature: DM cores deepen the gravitational potential, compressing and heating the baryonic matter, while extended DM halos provide external support, leading to cooling of the stellar matter. In contrast, hyperons and other exotic baryons soften the equation of state similarly to DM cores but reduce, rather than increase, the temperature. DM thus alters both temperature and particle distribution profiles in ways that provide a clear diagnostic of its presence. DM cores also enhance compactness and shift hyperon onset, with the strongest effects during deleptonization and neutrino-transparent phases due to reduced neutrino pressure contributions. Consequently, this early thermal evolution, observable through supernova neutrino light curves and young pulsar cooling curves, offers a direct, testable probe of DM in NSs.

astro-ph.HE

Gaussian Expansion Method for few-body states in two-dimensional materials

We investigate the properties of trions in transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) monolayers using the Gaussian Expansion Method (GEM) adapted to two-dimensional systems. Excitons and trions in monolayer TMDCs with the chemical composition MX$_2$ in the 2H phase are studied systematically. We computed the associated exciton and trion binding energies. We find in addition to the known $J = 0$ trion the existence of a bound state with orbital angular momentum $J = 1$. The results for $J = 0$ are benchmarked against existing calculations from the Stochastic Variational Method (SVM) and Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC). Furthermore, we analyze the trion internal structure and geometry through their probability density distributions, accounting for the effects of different material shows that GEM -- widely used in studies of strongly interacting few-body systems -- is well adapted to allow comprehensive and computationally efficient investigations of trions and potentially other weakly bound few-body states in layered materials. In addition, we systematically exploit the effect of strain and dieletric environment in the $J = 1$ trion predictions, illustrated for the MoS$_2$ monolayer example.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Minkowski Space Dynamics and Light-Front Projection

We explore the connection between the four-dimensional Minkowski-space Bethe-Salpeter equation and its light-front projection, emphasizing the implications for bound-state dynamics. Our approach incorporates dressed particles, such as quarks, via the integral representation of the corresponding propagator. We analyze the light-front dynamics of the valence component of the physical state using a hierarchical set of Green's functions, which reveals its coupling to higher Fock components when dressed particles are considered. We also present the light-front Faddeev-Bethe-Salpeter equations for three-body systems with dressed constituents. Furthermore, we discuss formal developments that are central to connecting the three-dimensional light-front dynamics onto the null-plane and the four-dimensional Minkowski-space framework, based on the Nakanishi integral representation. Selected applications to hadron structure are also reviewed.

hep-ph

Long Range Outlook for Short-Range Correlations

Short range correlated (SRC) N N pairs are pairs of nucleons with high relative momentum (prel > kF where kF ~ 250 MeV/c is the Fermi momentum in medium to heavy nuclei) and lower center of mass momentum. The motivation for studying SRC pairs ranges from a desire to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the many-body nuclear wave-function at high-resolution to searching for explicit QCD-dynamics effects within the nuclear medium, not to mention connections to many other open problems in nuclear physics. Exploring short-range correlations was one of the physics motivations for building CEBAF (now Jefferson Lab). Scientists used the high luminosity and high energy of this cutting-edge machine to find kinematics that cleanly showed the signals of short-range correlations. This paved the way in the last two decades for tremendous progress understanding these correlations. This paper reviews recent progress and highlights outstanding questions and areas that need further study.

nucl-ex

Glueballs Confinement and Cosmological Phase Transitions

We develop a unified framework in which the dynamics of a scalar glueball field, originating from phenomenological nonperturbative QCD confinement, simultaneously governs the deconfinement transition of strongly interacting matter and drives cosmological inflation. Starting from a temperature-dependent effective potential $V_{eff}(ϕ, T)$, we show that the glueball mass vanishes at a critical temperature $T_{cϕ}$, signaling a first-order phase transition characterized by supercooling and a transient metastable vacuum. In the high-temperature regime $T > T_{cϕ}$, the deconfined phase naturally produces an exponential expansion of the scale factor, providing the correct conditions for inflation. By computing the slow-roll parameters and the resulting spectral index $n_s$, tensor-to-scalar ratio $r_s$, and running $α_s$, we confront the model with the Planck observations. The predicted values of $n_s$ and $r_s$ fall within the Planck confidence contours for a broad and physically motivated range of the parameter $γ$ and for $N \approx 50\text{--}60$ e-folds. A distinctive linear relation, $r_s = 4(1-n_s)-72γ$, emerges as a testable signature of the model. Normalization to the observed scalar amplitude further constrains the thermal correction parameter $σ^2$ and the coupling $γ$, linking cosmological data directly to QCD-scale dynamics. These results demonstrate that a confinement-inspired potential can naturally reproduce the observed inflationary phenomenology and offer a novel bridge between early-universe cosmology and the nonperturbative sector of QCD.

hep-ph

Radial and Non-Radial Oscillations of Protoneutron Stars with Hyperonic Composition

This paper explores radial and non-radial oscillations of protoneutron stars (PNSs) as they evolve from hot, neutrino-rich configurations through deleptonization to cold, catalyzed states. The equation of state (EoS) is modeled using a density-dependent relativistic mean-field framework, with stellar evolution characterized by changes in entropy and lepton fraction. Both nucleonic and hyperonic compositions are considered. Non-radial $f$- and $p_1$-mode oscillations are computed using both the Cowling approximation and the full General Relativistic framework. Trapped neutrinos initially increase the error in the Cowling approximation for $f$-modes, which decreases during deleptonization and rises again in the cold phase. In contrast, $p_1$-mode errors peak during intermediate stages due to evolving pressure and density gradients. The emergence of hyperons modestly raises oscillation frequencies in both modes. Existing universal relations for $f$-mode frequency and damping time lack model independence for PNSs, motivating a more robust relation. In particular, our proposed universal relation involving the moment of inertia and $\tildeη$ shows strong agreement across all evolutionary phases, offering a temperature-sensitive, model-independent scaling for asteroseismology. Radial oscillations of a $1.4\,M_\odot$ PNS are also studied for different EoSs. Our results show that displacement ($ξ$) and pressure perturbation ($η$) profiles are highly sensitive to thermal state, composition, and compactness. Hyperonic stars show higher frequencies, altered node structures, and stronger pressure perturbations due to EoS softening. Differences in frequency separation $Δν_n$ and fundamental frequency $ν_0$ between nucleonic and hyperonic models provide clear observational diagnostics for probing the interiors of PNSs and constraining the EoS of dense matter.

nucl-th

Rotating Proto-Neutron Stars Admixed with Mirror Dark Matter: A two fluid approach

This work investigates the impact of mirror dark matter (DM) on the global properties of rotating neutron stars (NSs) across evolutionary stages, from hot, lepton-rich protoneutron stars (PNSs) to cold, catalyzed NSs along the Kelvin-Helmholtz timescale. The baryonic matter (BM) is modeled using a relativistic mean-field (RMF) approach with density-dependent couplings, while the dark sector mirrors the visible sector with analogous thermodynamic conditions. Using a two-fluid formalism with purely gravitational DM-BM interaction, we find that rotation enlarges the star, whereas DM admixture increases compactness and enhances gravitational stability. However, increased compactness due to DM lowers the threshold for rotational instabilities, making DM-admixed stars more susceptible. Rotation decreases {central temperature behavior} by redistributing thermal energy over a larger volume and reducing central density, while DM raises temperatures by deepening the gravitational potential and increasing thermal energy. Stars become more prone to collapse and rotational instabilities as frequency ($ν$) rises and the polar-to-equatorial radius ratio ($r_p/r_e$) decreases, especially near the Keplerian limit ($ν_K$). DM-admixed stars also show higher surface gravitational redshifts due to their compactness. Our results qualitatively agree with universal relations primarily derived for rotating cold stars. These findings highlight competing effects of rotation and DM on NS thermal evolution, structure, and observables, potentially offering indirect probes of DM within NSs.

astro-ph.HE

Proto-neutron Stars with Dark Matter Admixture: A Single-Fluid Approach

This work investigates the impact of dark matter (DM) on the microscopic and macroscopic properties of proto-neutron stars (PNSs). We employ a single-fluid framework in which DM interacts with ordinary matter (OM) via the Higgs portal and remains in thermal equilibrium through non-gravitational interactions. Using a quasi-static approximation, we analyze the evolution of PNSs during the Kelvin-Helmholtz phase by varying the DM mass while keeping the entropy per baryon and lepton fraction fixed. Our results show that DM absorbs thermal energy from the stellar medium without efficient re-emission, thereby altering neutrino emission and affecting the star's thermal evolution history. Furthermore, neutrinos contribute significantly to pressure support in the PNS phase, inhibiting DM mass accretion during neutrino-trapped stages. Based on the requirement to satisfy the observed $2,\rm M_\odot$ neutron star mass constraint and to maintain consistency with supernova remnant data, we suggest an upper limit of $m_χ\leq 0.62,\rm GeV$ for the DM mass that can accrete in evolving PNSs, within the model framework. In contrast, we established that cold neutron stars (NSs) can support higher DM masses without compromising equilibrium stability, owing to increased central density, enhanced gravitational binding energy, and reduced thermal pressure.

astro-ph.HE

Hyperons and $Δ$'s in rotating protoneutron stars: Local properties

The structural evolution of rotating protoneutron stars encodes essential information about their observable signatures, while microscopic properties provide complementary knowledge to advance observational investigations. Using a relativistic mean-field model with density-dependent couplings that account for temperature and particle composition, we investigate rotation, neutrino-emission-driven changes in angular momentum, particle distributions, temperature profiles, and sound speed to probe the internal dynamics of protoneutron star matter. Additionally, we track the evolution of macroscopic quantities such as energy distribution and gravitational mass and establish direct links between microphysics and global evolution. Extending the framework of Phys. Rev. D 112, 023007 (2025), which focuses on the global properties of rotating protoneutron star evolution, our results reveal that protoneutron star deformation and thermal evolution are governed by angular momentum, mass, and composition. Exotic matter (hyperons and $Δ$-resonances) and rapid rotation enhance deformation leading to a reduction in core temperature, whereas slowly rotating stars like PSR J0740$+$6620 remain nearly spherical. Our predicted equatorial radii for PSR J0740$+$6620, $13.0\ \mathrm{km} < R_e < 13.5\ \mathrm{km}$, are consistent with NICER measurements. These findings constrain the EoS, requiring a self-consistent treatment of rotation, mass-dependent compression, and composition-driven modeling to accurately model protoneutron star evolution in the context of multi-messenger astrophysics.

astro-ph.HE

Hot quark matter and merger remnants

This work investigates hot quark matter under the thermodynamic conditions characteristic of a binary neutron star (BNS) merger remnants. We used the density-dependent quark mass model (DDQM) to access the microscopic nuclear equation of state (EoS) in a series of snapshots. The strange quark matter (SQM) is studied at finite temperature and entropy, in the presence of electrons and muons and their corresponding neutrinos to simulate the BNS merger conditions. For the first time, we introduced temperature into the DDQM model using a lattice QCD-motivated approach to construct both isentropic and isothermal EoSs. We observe that as the entropy of the SQM increases, the merger remnant becomes more massive and increases in size, whereas the neutrino abundance also increases. In the fixed-temperature case, on the other hand, we observe that the entropy spreads from the surface towards the center of the remnant. We determine the particle distribution in the core of the remnants, the structure of the remnant, the temperature profile, sound velocity, and the polytropic index, and discuss their effects. The strange-quark star (SQS) remnants satisfy the $2\,{\rm M_\odot}$ mass constraint associated with neutron stars (NS).

hep-ph