Cubic neutrons
Felipe J. Llanes-Estrada, Gaspar Moreno Navarro (Univ. Complutense, Madrid)
TL;DR
This paper explores the possibility that neutrons can adopt a cubic shape under extreme pressures in neutron stars, potentially affecting the properties of neutron matter.
Contribution
It introduces a variational computation within the Cornell model showing neutrons can assume cubic symmetry at high pressure, which is a novel insight.
Findings
Neutrons can adopt cubic symmetry at about 150 MeV energy cost.
Cubic neutrons may lead to a softening of the neutron matter equation of state.
Implications for neutron star matter properties.
Abstract
The neutron is largely spherical and incompressible in atomic nuclei. These two properties are however challenged in the extreme pressure environment of a neutron star. Our variational computation within the Cornell model of Coulomb gauge QCD shows that the neutron (and also the Delta-3/2 baryon) can adopt cubic symmetry at an energy cost of about 150 MeV. Balancing this with the free energy gained by tighter neutron packing, we expose the possible softening of the equation of state of neutron matter.
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