Relativistic stars in f(R) gravity

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the existence of static relativistic star solutions in viable f(R) gravity models, emphasizing the importance of the equation of state and providing numerical solutions with realistic neutron star approximations.

Contribution

It provides the first numerical solutions of static relativistic stars in f(R) gravity using a polytropic equation of state, challenging previous claims about their non-existence.

Findings

Relativistic star solutions exist in viable f(R) models.

Equation of state critically affects solution existence.

Polytropic EoS allows for realistic neutron star modeling.

Abstract

We study the strong gravity regime in viable models of so-called f(R) gravity that account for the observed cosmic acceleration. In contrast with recent works suggesting that very relativistic stars might not exist in these models, we find numerical solutions corresponding to static star configurations with a strong gravitational field. The choice of the equation of state for the star is crucial for the existence of solutions. Indeed, if the pressure exceeds one third of the energy density in a large part of the star, static configurations do not exist. In our analysis, we use a polytropic equation of state, which is not plagued with this problem and, moreover, provides a better approximation for a realistic neutron star.