Testing neutron star thermal evolution theories

2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sachiko Tsuruta
Keyword(s):  
Neutron Star ◽  
Thermal Evolution

scholarly journals Nuclear equation of state and neutron star cooling

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (04) ◽  
pp. 1750015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yeunhwan Lim ◽  
Chang Ho Hyun ◽  
Chang-Hwan Lee
Keyword(s):  
Neutron Star ◽  
Equation Of State ◽  
Neutron Stars ◽  
Nuclear Matter ◽  
Thermal Evolution ◽  
Observation Data ◽  
Nuclear Equation Of State ◽  
The Core ◽  
Dense Nuclear Matter ◽  
Nuclear Models

In this paper, we investigate the cooling of neutron stars with relativistic and nonrelativistic models of dense nuclear matter. We focus on the effects of uncertainties originated from the nuclear models, the composition of elements in the envelope region, and the formation of superfluidity in the core and the crust of neutron stars. Discovery of [Formula: see text] neutron stars PSR J1614−2230 and PSR J0343[Formula: see text]0432 has triggered the revival of stiff nuclear equation of state at high densities. In the meantime, observation of a neutron star in Cassiopeia A for more than 10 years has provided us with very accurate data for the thermal evolution of neutron stars. Both mass and temperature of neutron stars depend critically on the equation of state of nuclear matter, so we first search for nuclear models that satisfy the constraints from mass and temperature simultaneously within a reasonable range. With selected models, we explore the effects of element composition in the envelope region, and the existence of superfluidity in the core and the crust of neutron stars. Due to uncertainty in the composition of particles in the envelope region, we obtain a range of cooling curves that can cover substantial region of observation data.

scholarly journals The Thermal Evolution following a Superburst on an Accreting Neutron Star

2004 ◽  
Vol 603 (1) ◽  
pp. L37-L40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Cumming ◽  
Jared Macbeth
Keyword(s):  
Neutron Star ◽  
Thermal Evolution

scholarly journals Thermal evolution and quiescent emission of transiently accreting neutron stars

2019 ◽  
Vol 629 ◽  
pp. A88 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Y. Potekhin ◽  
A. I. Chugunov ◽  
G. Chabrier
Keyword(s):  
Neutron Star ◽  
Neutron Stars ◽  
Nuclear Reactions ◽  
Thermal Evolution ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Equilibrium Temperature ◽  
Theoretical Interpretation ◽  
Quasi Equilibrium ◽  
Accretion Rates

Aims. We study the long-term thermal evolution of neutron stars in soft X-ray transients (SXTs), taking the deep crustal heating into account consistently with the changes of the composition of the crust. We collect observational estimates of average accretion rates and thermal luminosities of such neutron stars and compare the theory with observations. Methods. We performed simulations of thermal evolution of accreting neutron stars, considering the gradual replacement of the original nonaccreted crust by the reprocessed accreted matter, the neutrino and photon energy losses, and the deep crustal heating due to nuclear reactions in the accreted crust. We also tested and compared results for different modern theoretical models. We updated a compilation of the observational estimates of the thermal luminosities in quiescence and average accretion rates in the SXTs and compared the observational estimates with the theoretical results. Results. The long-term thermal evolution of transiently accreting neutron stars is nonmonotonic. The quasi-equilibrium temperature in quiescence reaches a minimum and then increases toward the final steady state. The quasi-equilibrium thermal luminosity of a neutron star in an SXT can be substantially lower at the minimum than in the final state. This enlarges the range of possibilities for theoretical interpretation of observations of such neutron stars. The updates of the theory and observations leave the previous conclusions unchanged, namely that the direct Urca process operates in relatively cold neutron stars and that an accreted heat-blanketing envelope is likely present in relatively hot neutron stars in the SXTs in quiescence. The results of the comparison of theory with observations favor suppression of the triplet pairing type of nucleon superfluidity in the neutron-star matter.

scholarly journals The effect of diffusive nuclear burning in neutron star envelopes on cooling in accreting systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 493 (4) ◽  
pp. 4936-4944
Author(s):  
M J P Wijngaarden ◽  
Wynn C G Ho ◽  
Philip Chang ◽  
Dany Page ◽  
Rudy Wijnands ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neutron Star ◽  
Thermal Evolution ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Light Elements ◽  
Heating Source ◽  
Total Luminosity ◽  
Deep Interior ◽  
Nuclear Burning ◽  
Short Time ◽  
Over Time

ABSTRACT Valuable information about the neutron star (NS) interior can be obtained by comparing observations of thermal radiation from a cooling NS crust with theoretical models. Nuclear burning of lighter elements that diffuse to deeper layers of the envelope can alter the relation between surface and interior temperatures and can change the chemical composition over time. We calculate new temperature relations and consider two effects of diffusive nuclear burning (DNB) for H–C envelopes. First, we consider the effect of a changing envelope composition and find that hydrogen is consumed on short time-scales and our temperature evolution simulations correspond to those of a hydrogen-poor envelope within ∼100 d. The transition from a hydrogen-rich to a hydrogen-poor envelope is potentially observable in accreting NS systems as an additional initial decline in surface temperature at early times after the outburst. Second, we find that DNB can produce a non-negligible heat flux, such that the total luminosity can be dominated by DNB in the envelope rather than heat from the deep interior. However, without continual accretion, heating by DNB in H–C envelopes is only relevant for <1–80 d after the end of an accretion outburst, as the amount of light elements is rapidly depleted. Comparison to crust cooling data shows that DNB does not remove the need for an additional shallow heating source. We conclude that solving the time-dependent equations of the burning region in the envelope self-consistently in thermal evolution models instead of using static temperature relations would be valuable in future cooling studies.

scholarly journals Detecting UV Radiation from Nearby Pulsars with the Hubble Space Telescope

1992 ◽  
Vol 128 ◽  
pp. 220-221
Author(s):  
George G. Pavlov
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Neutron Star ◽  
Thermal Radiation ◽  
Neutron Stars ◽  
Hubble Space Telescope ◽  
Thermal Evolution ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Space Telescope ◽  
Additional Constraints ◽  
Relativistic Particles

AbstractEven old (106 to 107 yr) pulsars within a few hundred parsecs of the Sun should give UV and optical fluxes via thermal radiation or radiation from relativistic particles. The surface temperature of a neutron star depends on its mass, radius, magnetic field, and internal composition (existence of pion condensate, superfluidity of nucléons, etc.). If the temperature exceeds ~2x104 K, the thermal radiation can be detected by the Hubble Space Telescope. An analysis of the results will allow one to study the thermal evolution and inner structure of neutron stars in order to obtain additional constraints on pulsar models.

scholarly journals Numerically fitting the electron Fermi energy and the electron fraction in a neutron star

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (01) ◽  
pp. 1650002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xing Hu Li ◽  
Zhi Fu Gao ◽  
Xiang Dong Li ◽  
Yan Xu ◽  
Pei Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neutron Star ◽  
Neutron Stars ◽  
Fermi Energy ◽  
Thermal Evolution ◽  
Mean Field ◽  
Analytical Formula ◽  
Matter Density ◽  
Relativistic Electrons ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Energy Formula

Based on the basic definition of the Fermi energy of degenerate and relativistic electrons, we obtain a special solution to the electron Fermi energy, [Formula: see text], and express [Formula: see text] as a function of the electron fraction, [Formula: see text], and matter density, [Formula: see text]. We obtain several useful analytical formula for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] within classical models and the work of Dutra et al. (2014) (Type-2) in relativistic mean-field theory are obtained using numerically fitting. When describing the mean-field Lagrangian, density, we adopt the TMA parameter set, which is remarkably consistent with the updated astrophysical observations of neutron stars (NSs). Due to the importance of the density dependence of the symmetry energy, [Formula: see text], in nuclear astrophysics, a brief discussion on [Formula: see text] and its slop is presented. Combining these fitting formula with boundary conditions for different density regions, we can evaluate the value of [Formula: see text] in any given matter density, and obtain a schematic diagram of [Formula: see text] as a continuous function of [Formula: see text]. Compared with previous studies on the electron Fermi energy in other studies models, our methods of calculating [Formula: see text] are more simple and convenient, and can be universally suitable for the relativistic electron regions in the circumstances of common neutron stars. We have deduced a general expression of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], which could be used to indirectly test whether one equation of state of a NS is correct in our future studies on neutron star matter properties. Since URCA reactions are expected in the center of a massive star due to high-value electron Fermi energy and electron fraction, this study could be useful in the future studies on the NS thermal evolution.

scholarly journals Possibility of rapid neutron star cooling with a realistic equation of state

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Akira Dohi ◽  
Ken’ichiro Nakazato ◽  
Masa-aki Hashimoto ◽  
Matsuo Yasuhide ◽  
Tsuneo Noda
Keyword(s):  
Neutron Star ◽  
Equation Of State ◽  
Neutron Stars ◽  
Symmetry Energy ◽  
Surface Composition ◽  
Thermal Evolution ◽  
Small Radius ◽  
Neutron Star Cooling ◽  
Fast Cooling ◽  
Urca Process

Abstract Whether fast cooling processes occur or not is crucial for the thermal evolution of neutron stars. In particular, the threshold of the direct Urca process, which is one of the fast cooling processes, is determined by the interior proton fraction $Y_p$, or the nuclear symmetry energy. Since recent observations indicate the small radius of neutron stars, a low value is preferred for the symmetry energy. In this study, simulations of neutron star cooling are performed adopting three models for the equation of state (EoS): Togashi, Shen, and LS220 EoSs. The Togashi EoS has been recently constructed with realistic nuclear potentials under finite temperature, and found to account for the small radius of neutron stars. As a result, we find that, since the direct Urca process is forbidden, the neutron star cooling is slow with use of the Togashi EoS. This is because the symmetry energy of Togashi EoS is lower than those of other EoSs. Hence, in order to account for observed age and surface temperature of isolated neutron stars with the use of the Togashi EoS, other fast cooling processes are needed regardless of the surface composition.

scholarly journals Hydrogen and Helium Burning in the Degenerate Envelopes of C–O Dwarfs

1979 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 269-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.V. Ergma ◽  
A.V. Tutukov
Keyword(s):  
Neutron Star ◽  
White Dwarf ◽  
Analytical Method ◽  
Thermal Evolution ◽  
Helium Burning ◽  
Simple Analytical Method

In our previous papers (Tutukov, Ergma, 1979; Ergma and Tutukov, 1979) we have proposed a simple analytical method to investigate the thermal evolution of shells accreted onto the surface of a neutron star. We have used this method for investigation of thermal evolution of shells accreted onto the surface of a carbon-oxygen white dwarf.

Temperature of neutron stars

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 1630026
Author(s):  
Sachiko Tsuruta
Keyword(s):  
Neutron Star ◽  
Neutron Stars ◽  
Thermal Evolution ◽  
Future Prospect ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Nuclear Density ◽  
Exotic Particles ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Density Matter

We start with a brief introduction to the historical background in the early pioneering days when the first neutron star thermal evolution calculations predicted the presence of neutron stars hot enough to be observable. We then report on the first detection of neutron star temperatures by ROSAT X-ray satellite, which vindicated the earlier prediction of hot neutron stars. We proceed to present subsequent developments, both in theory and observation, up to today. We then discuss the current status and the future prospect, which will offer useful insight to the understanding of basic properties of ultra-high density matter beyond the nuclear density, such as the possible presence of such exotic particles as pion condensates.

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