Effects of a weakly interacting light U boson on the nuclear equation of state and properties of neutron stars in relativistic models

TL;DR

This paper explores how a weakly interacting light U-boson influences the nuclear equation of state and neutron star properties, potentially allowing larger neutron star masses and affecting radius predictions within relativistic models.

Contribution

It introduces the effects of a light U-boson into relativistic mean-field models, revealing its impact on neutron star maximum mass and radius, and its role in testing non-Newtonian gravity.

Findings

U-boson increases maximum neutron star mass.

U-boson affects neutron star radius.

U-boson provides a test for non-Newtonian gravity.

Abstract

We investigate the effects of the light vector U-boson that couples weakly to nucleons in relativistic mean-field models on the equation of state and subsequently the consequence in neutron stars. It is analyzed that the U-boson can lead to a much clearer rise of the neutron star maximum mass in models with the much softer equation of state. The inclusion of the U-boson may thus allow the existence of the non-nucleonic degrees of freedom in the interior of large mass neutron stars initiated with the favorably soft EOS of normal nuclear matter. In addition, the sensitive role of the U-boson in the neutron star radius and its relation to the test of the non-Newtonian gravity that is herein addressed by the light U-boson are discussed.