arXiv subjects

Yong-Liang Ma

Publications and source records attributed to Yong-Liang Ma.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2025

Implication of neutron star observations to the origin of nucleon mass

We investigate the implications of neutron star observations for understanding the origin of nucleon mass using a framework that combines three complementary approaches: the equation of state based on parity doublet structure for hadronic matter below $2n_0$, the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model for quark matter above $5n_0$, and a model-independent analysis of the intermediate density region based on fundamental physical principles. By systematically exploring parameter spaces and comparing theoretical predictions with recent observational constraints, we establish constraints on the chiral invariant mass. Our results suggest that more than a half of the nucleon mass originates from sources beyond spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking, challenging conventional understanding of nucleon mass generation. These constraints arise solely from fundamental physical principles and observational data, independent of specific assumptions about the nature of the quark-hadron transition, providing robust insights into the microscopic origin of hadron masses.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2025

Confined Monopoles in Chiral Bag

The chiral bag model offers a dual description of hadron physics in terms of quarks and hadrons in the sense of Cheshire Cat principle. In this work, we find that, within the chiral bag, confinement is likely caused by monopole condensation. The chiral bag surface can be interpreted as an $η'$ domain wall, where a dynamical Chern-Simons theory emerges. Under level-rank duality, the Chern-Simons theory serves as the counterterm introduced to block the so-called color charge leakage. To ensure the correct net baryon number of the full chiral bag, an additional Chern-Simons theory involving the vector meson field arises on the bag surface and extends outside the bag. This leads to a Chern-Simons-Higgs theory localized on the $η'$ domain wall, as previously conjectured. We also propose that the skyrmion description of baryons could be understood as a system of monopoles enveloped by a meson cloud.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Two-flavor color superconductivity in a general Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model with color and charge neutrality

By using a general NJL model including as many interaction channels as possible, and taking into account the constraints imposed by color and charge neutrality, we analyze how the different interaction channels contribute to the charge-neutral two-flavor color-superconducting matter. After taking the Fierz transformation, the number of parameters in the NJL model is reduced and thereby quark-antiquark condensates and diquark condensates are related. Through a self-consistent solution of the gap equations, we find that in addition to the diquark and vector channels, the scalar-isovector, vector-isovector, and vector-isovector-color-octet channels are also important, while other channels can be neglected. Moreover, between the normal quark matter phase and two-flavor color-superconducting phase, there is a gapless two-flavor color-superconducting phase. The fractions of quarks with different flavors and colors are calculated in both gaped and gapless two-flavor color-superconducting phases. In addition, We illustrate the phase diagrams in the diquark coupling and chemical potential plane, and discuss in detail how the dominant channels influence these phase diagrams.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Connecting dilaton thermal fluctuation with the Polyakov loop at finite temperature

Understanding the character of the deconfinement phase transition is one of the fundamental challenges in particle physics. In this work, we derive a formula for the expectation value of the Polyakov loop -- the order parameter of the deconfinement phase transition -- in pure $\mathrm{SU(N_{\mathrm{c}})}$ gauge systems at finite temperatures starting from the Coleman\textendash Weinberg-type effective potential encoding the trace anomaly of QCD. Our results are in good agreement with the Lattice QCD data and can effectively describe the large-$N_{\mathrm{c}}$ behaviors of the expectation value of the Polyakov loop. Notably, our findings predict the strongest first-order deconfinement phase transition as $N_{\mathrm{c}} \to +\infty$. Furthermore, to establish a relation between the dilaton field and the Polyakov loop, we also derive the scale transformation rule for temperature based on quantum statistical mechanics. The results of this work may shed a light on the connection between deconfinement phase transition and evolution of scale symmetry in the thermal system.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Nuclear matter properties from chiral-scale effective theory including a dilatonic scalar meson

Chiral effective theory has become a powerful tool for studying the low-energy properties of QCD. In this work, we apply an extended chiral effective theory -- chiral-scale effective theory -- including a dilatonic scalar meson to study nuclear matter and find that the properties around saturation density can be well reproduced. Compared to the traditionally used Walecka-type models in nuclear matter studies, our approach improves the behavior of symmetry energy and the incompressibility coefficient in describing empirical data without introducing additional freedoms. Moreover, the predicted neutron star structures fall within the constraints of GW170817, PSR J0740+6620, and PSR J0030+0451, while the maximum neutron star mass can reach about $~3M_{\odot}$ with a pure hadronic phase. Additionally, we find that symmetry patterns of the effective theory significantly impact neutron star structures. %In chiral-scale effective theory, effective operators are well organized by chiral-scale orders and freedoms induced by QCD symmetry patterns. We believe that introducing this type of theory into nuclear matter studies can lead to a deeper understanding of QCD, nuclear matter, and compact astrophysical objects.

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arXiv2025

Probing Hadron-quark Transition Through Binary Neutron Star Merger

The cores of massive neutron stars offer a unique environment for the nuclear matter at intermediate density in the universe. The global characteristics of a neutron star, as well as the gravitational waves emitted from the mergers of two neutron stars, offer valuable insights into dense nuclear matter. In this paper, we comprehensively investigate the effect of the potential hadron-quark transition on the properties of neutron stars and the signals of the gravitational waves stemming from the merger of binary neutron stars, including waveforms, frequency evolutions as well as the spectrum curves, utilizing the equations of state constructed from the Maxwell ansatz, Gibbs ansatz and, the crossover scenario. We explicitly construct the equations of state in such a way that they converge at low and high densities therefore the differences are only from the scenarios of the transitions and the locations -- or the parameters in the equation of state. Using such constructed equations of state, we simulate the signals of the gravitational wave (GW) and analyze their differences due to locations of the transition, the scenarios of the transition, and the masses of the component stars. We find that (1) in both the Maxwell ansatz and Gibbs ansatz, GW signals are sensitive to the location and the latent heat of the phase transition, (2) in the post-merger phase, the frequency of GW increases with the evolution in Maxwell type transition but is stable in the other two types of transitions and, (3) the amount of radiated energy is the biggest in Gibbs construction (GC) type transition and the smallest in the crossover construction (CC) type transition. By combining our findings with the expected detection of gravitational waves around $(2$-$4)$ kHz from binary neutron star mergers and their associated electromagnetic signals, we expect to uncover some key characteristics of dense nuclear matter.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Baryon Construction with $η^\prime$ Meson Field

In the low-energy regime, baryons with $N_f \geq 2$ have long been constructed as skyrmions or through bag models, but such constructions for $N_f = 1$ are hindered by the trivial topological structure of the meson field. Recent proposals suggest that one-flavor baryons can instead be interpreted as quantum Hall droplets on the $η'$ domain wall, providing a potential link to quark--hadron continuity at high density. In retrospect, the qualitative or semi-qualitative construction of one-flavor baryons on the $η'$ domain wall reveals that these baryons can be described as quantum Hall droplets, resembling topological solitons akin to skyrmions. Using an effective theory on the $η'$ domain wall, which is conjectured to be the Chern--Simons--Higgs theory, it is discussed that its vortex solution with unit baryon numbers naturally has a spin of $N_c/2$, and thus can be interpreted as a baryon or multi-baryon structure. The particle--vortex duality suggests that quarks carry a fractional topological charge of $1/N_c$ and obey fractional statistics. In terms of chiral bag models, confinement can be attributed to the monopoles confined within the bag, and the vector meson fields on the bag surface are essential for ensuring the correct baryon number in the chiral bag framework, thereby providing deeper insights into baryons as non-trivial topological structures of the meson field. In this paper, we review the progress in this development, with a special focus on the $η^\prime$ domain wall dynamics. Naive extensions to $N_f \geq 2$ are also discussed.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2024

Exploring the first-order phase transition in neutron stars using the parity doublet model and NJL-type quark model

We investigate the possibility and impacts of a first-order phase transition from hadronic matter to quark matter in neutron stars (NSs) using two specific models: the parity doublet model (PDM) for the hadronic phase and the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (NJL) type model for the quark phase. By combining these models, we construct hybrid equations of state (EOSs) that capture the transition between the two phases. We explore the parameter space of both models to identify the conditions under which a first-order phase transition can occur and study its effects on NS properties. We identify the suitable parameter space and constrain the onset density of the first-order phase transition. For $m_0$ = 500 MeV -- the chiral invariant mass in PDM, the phase transition occurs between 1.9$n_0$ and 2.95$n_0$ and ends between 2.1$n_0$ and 3.6$n_0$. Increasing $m_0$ to 600 MeV shifts the phase transition to higher densities, occurring between 2.9$n_0$ and 4.1$n_0$ and ending between 3.4$n_0$ and 4.6$n_0$.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2024

A bridge between trace anomaly and deconfinement phase transition

Inspired by the fact that both the dilaton potential encoding the trace anomalies of QCD and the Polyakov loop potential measuring the deconfinement phase transition can be expressed in the logarithmic forms, as well as the fact that the scale symmetry is expected to be restoring and colors are deconfined in extreme conditions such as high temperatures and/or densities, we conjecture a relation between the dilaton potential and the Polyakov loop potential. Explicitly, we start from the Coleman--Weinberg type potential of a real scalar field -- a dilaton or conformal compensator -- and make an ansatz of the relation between this scalar field and the Polyakov loop to obtain the Polyakov loop potential, which can be parameterized in Lattice QCD (LQCD) in the pure glue sector. We find that the coefficients of Polyakov potential fitted from Lattice data are automatically satisfied in this ansatz, the locations of deconfinement and scale restoration are locked to each other, and the first-order phase transition can be realized. Extensions to the low-energy effective quark models are also discussed. The conjectured relation may deepen our understanding of the evolution of the universe, the mechanism of electroweak symmetry breaking, the phase diagram of QCD matter, and the properties of neutron~stars.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2024

Baryons as Vortexes on the $η^{\prime}$ Domain Wall

We show that the recent construction of $N_f=1$ baryons on the $η^\prime$ domain wall can be understood as vortexes of the principal effective theory -- the Chern-Simons-Higgs theory -- on a 2+1-dimensional sheet. This theory has a series of vertex solutions, and the vortex with unit topological charge naturally spins $N_c/2$, which coincides with the spin of the one-flavor baryon in QCD. Since the $N_c$ scaling of the vortexes is the same as that of baryons, baryons can be regarded as vortexes. By virtue of the particle-vortex symmetry, the dual Zhang-Hansson-Kivelson theory indicates that the quark carries topological charge $1/N_c$ and obeys fractional statistics. The generalization to arbitrary $N_f$ is also discussed.

hep-th↗

arXiv2024

Insights into neutron star equation of state by machine learning

Due to its powerful capability and high efficiency in big data analysis, machine learning has been applied in various fields. We construct a neural network platform to constrain the behaviors of the equation of state of nuclear matter with respect to the properties of nuclear matter at saturation density and the properties of neutron stars. It is found that the neural network is able to give reasonable predictions of parameter space and provide new hints into the constraints of hadron interactions. As a specific example, we take the relativistic mean field approximation in a widely accepted Walecka-type model to illustrate the feasibility and efficiency of the platform. The results show that the neural network can indeed estimate the parameters of the model at a certain precision such that both the properties of nuclear matter around saturation density and global properties of neutron stars can be saturated. The optimization of the present modularly designed neural network and extension to other effective models are straightforward.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2024

Quark structure of isoscalar- and isovector-scalar mesons and nuclear matter property

It was found that the isoscalar-scalar and isovector-scalar mesons play significant roles in nuclear matter physics. However, the underlying structures of these resonances are not yet well understood. We construct a three-flavor baryonic extended linear sigma model including both the two- and four-quark constitutes of scalar mesons with respect to the axial transformation and study the nuclear matter properties with relativistic mean field method. The nuclear matter properties at saturation density and hadron spectrums are well reproduced with this model simultaneously and, only the two-quark component of the scalar mesons couple to baryon fields and dominates the nuclear force. A plateau-like structure is found in the symmetry energy of nuclear matter due to the multi-meson couplings, and it's crucial for understanding the neutron skin thickness of $^{208}\rm Pb$ and the tidal deformation of neutron star from GW170817. At high density regions, the vector mesons are found to be rather crucial, especially the ones coupling with four-quark configurations. This model can be easily extended to study neutron stars, even with hyperons in their interior.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2024

Linear dynamics and classical tests of the gravitational quantum field theory

We explore the new physics phenomena of gravidynamics governed by the inhomogeneous spin gauge symmetry based on the gravitational quantum field theory. Such a gravidynamics enables us to derive the generalized Einstein equation and an equation beyond it. To simplify the analyses, we linearize the dynamic equations of gravitational interaction by keeping terms up to the leading order in the dual gravigauge field. We then apply the linearized dynamic equations into two particular gravitational phenomena. First, we consider the linearized equations in the absence of source fields, which is shown to have five physical propagating polarizations as gravitational waves, i.e., two tensor modes, two vector modes, and one scalar, instead of two tensor polarizations in the general relativity. Second, we examine the Newtonian limit in which the gravitational fields and the matter source distribution are weak and static. By deriving the associated Poisson equation, we obtain the exact relation of the fundamental interaction coupling in the gravidynamics with the experimentally measured Newtonian constant. We also make use of nonrelativistic objects and relativistic photons to probe the Newtonian field configurations. In particular, the experiments from the gravitational deflection of light rays and the Shapiro time delay can place stringent constraints on the linearized gravidynamics in the gravitational quantum field theory.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2023

Vector meson effects on the multi-skyrmion states from the rational map ansatz

The roles of the lightest vector mesons $ρ$ and $ω$ in the multi-skyrmion states are studied using the hidden local symmetry approach upto the next to leading order including the homogeneous Wess-Zumino terms. The low energy constants in the effective field theory are determined by using the Sakai-Sugimoto model and the flat-space five-dimensional Yang-Mills action. With only two inputs, $m_ρ$, and $f_π$, all the low energy constants can be determined without ambiguity. The vector meson effects can be investigated by integrating them in order and the influence from the geometry can be clarified by comparing the results using the low energy constants estimated from the Sakai-Sugimoto model and the flat-space five-dimensional Yang-Mills action. We find that the $ρ$ meson reduces the masses of the multi-skyrmion states and increases the overlaps of the constituents of the multi-skyrmion states while the $ω$ meson repulses the constituents of the multi-skyrmion states and increases their masses, therefore these vector mesons are important in Skyrme model approach to nuclei. we also find that the warping factor which is an essential element in the holographic model of QCD affects the properties of the multi-skyrmion states and cannot be ignored.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Multi-skyrmion states in the Skyrme model with false vaccum potential

We study the multi-skyrmion states using a Skyrme model with false vacuum potential upto baryon number $B=8$ using the product ansatz. It is found that, both the false vacuum potential and true vacuum potential can yield cluster structure of the multi-skyrmion states. The effect of the explicit chiral breaking on the masses and the contour surfaces of the baryon number density of the multi-skyrmion states are analyzed.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Topology and emergent symmetries in dense compact star matter

It has been found that the topology effect and the possible emergent scale and hidden local flavor symmetries at high density reveal a novel structure of the compact star matter. The $N_f\geq2$ baryons can be described by the skyrmion in the large $N_c$ limit and there is a robust topology change in the skyrmion matter approach to dense nuclear matter. The hidden scale and local flavor symmetries which are sources introducing the lightest scalar meson -- dilaton -- and lowest lying vector mesons into to nonlinear chiral effective theory are seen to play important roles in understanding the nuclear force. We review in this paper the generalized nuclear effective theory (G$n$EFT), which applicable to nuclear matter from low density to the compact star density, constructed with the robust conclusion from the topology approach to dense matter and emergent scale and hidden local flavor symmetries. The topology change at density larger than two times saturation density $n_0$ encoded in the parameters of the effective field theory is interpreted as the hadron-quark continuity in the sense of Cheshire Cat Principle. A novel feature predicted in this theory that has not been found before is the precocious appearance of the conformal sound velocity in the cores of massive stars, although the trace of the energy-momentum tensor of the system is not zero. That is, in contrast to the usual picture, the cores of massive stars are composed of quasiparticles of fractional baryon charges, neither baryons nor deconfined quarks. Hidden scale and local flavor symmetries emerge and give rise a resolution of the longstanding $g_A$ quench problem in nuclei transition. To illustrate the rationality of the GnEFT, we finally confront the generalized effective field theory to the global properties of neutron star and the data from gravitational wave detections.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2022

Doubly heavy tetraquark multiplets as heavy antiquark-diquark symmetry partners of heavy baryons

Symmetries play important roles in the understanding of hadron structures and spectroscopy. Motivated by the discovery of the doubly charmed tetraquark $T_{cc}^+(3875)$, we study the ground states of the doubly heavy tetraquarks with the QCD inspired heavy antiquark-diquark symmetry in the constituent quark model. Six ground states of $T_{QQ} (Q=c,b)$ are predicted and the lightest $T_{cc}$ state has a mass of $3875.8\pm 7.6$ MeV and spin-parity $1^+$ which are consistent with those of the observed $T_{cc}^+(3875)$. In addition, the magnetic moments of the predicted tetraquarks $T_{cc}^+(3876)$ and $T_{bb}^-(10396)$ are also estimated in the same model, which provide further informations to distinguish the structures of the $T_{QQ}$ states. Our results show that the heavy antiquark-diquark symmetry conserves well in these doubly heavy tetraquarks in both the spectrum and magnetic moment perspectives.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Scale symmetry and composition of compact star matter

The dense compact star matter is studied by using the skyrmion crystal approach. The chiral effective theory used includes the lightest scalar meson, the lowest-lying vector mesons as well as pions. Consistency with the vector manifestation and the dilaton limit fixed point at high density constrains the anomalous dimension of the gluon field $1.0 \lesssim |γ_{G^2}| \lesssim 2.0$ and leads to the significance of the scale symmetry breaking in the intrinsic parity-odd part of the effective theory. The speed of sound $v_s^2 \simeq 1/3$ and the polytropic index $γ\simeq 1$ -- both satisfy the conformal limits -- after the dilaton limit fixed point at high density but the matter is still in the hadronic phase. This means that neither the conformal speed of sound nor the smallness of the polytropic index can be used as a criterion of the onset of quark matter. These conclusions are significant for constructing the equation of state of nuclear matter.

nucl-th↗