Awaking the vacuum in relativistic stars

TL;DR

This paper reveals a novel effect where the formation of relativistic stars causes exponential growth in vacuum energy density, potentially impacting astrophysics and informing us about the universe's field content.

Contribution

It uncovers a new vacuum effect in relativistic stars, linking quantum vacuum behavior to astrophysical phenomena and observational implications.

Findings

Vacuum energy density can grow exponentially during relativistic star formation.

Stable neutron-star observations can provide insights into the universe's field content.

The vacuum's role in astrophysics is more significant than previously understood.

Abstract

Void of any inherent structure in classical physics, the vacuum has revealed to be incredibly crowded with all sorts of processes in relativistic quantum physics. Yet, its direct effects are usually so subtle that its structure remains almost as evasive as in classical physics. Here, in contrast, we report on the discovery of a novel effect according to which the vacuum is compelled to play an unexpected central role in an astrophysical context. We show that the formation of relativistic stars may lead the vacuum energy density of a quantum field to an exponential growth. The vacuum-driven evolution which would then follow may lead to unexpected implications for astrophysics, while the observation of stable neutron-star configurations may teach us much on the field content of our Universe.