Compression of matter in the center of accreting neutron stars

TL;DR

This study investigates how accretion affects the central density of neutron stars, considering magnetic fields and different equations of state, to assess the potential for dense-matter phase transitions.

Contribution

It compares magnetic-torque and non-magnetic accretion models using spectral methods within General Relativity, highlighting conditions for significant central compression.

Findings

Magnetic fields decrease angular momentum transfer efficiency.

Central compression is limited near maximum mass without magnetic torque.

Strong compression occurs in magnetized stars with stiff equations of state.

Abstract

To estimate the feasibility of dense-matter phase transition, we studied the evolution of the central density as well as the baryon chemical potential of accreting neutron stars. We compared the thin-disk accretion with and without the magnetic field torque with the spin-down scenario for a selection of recent equations of state. We compared the prevalent (in the recycled-pulsar context) Keplerian thin-disk model, in which the matter is accreted from the marginally-stable circular orbit, with the recent magnetic-torque model that takes into account the influence of stellar magnetic field on the effective inner boundary of the disk. Calculations were performed using a multi-domain spectral methods code in the framework of General Relativity. We considered three equations of state consistent with the recently measured mass of PSR J1614-2230, 1.97 +- 0.04 M_sun (one of them softened by the appearance of hyperons). If there is no magnetic torque and efficient angular momentum transfer from the disk to the star, substantial central compression is limited to the region of initial stellar masses close to the maximum mass. Outside the maximum mass vicinity, accretion-induced central compression is significant only if the angular momentum transfer is inefficient. Accounting for the magnetic field effectively decreases the efficiency of angular momentum transfer and implies a significant central compression. An efficient angular momentum transfer from a thin disk onto a non-magnetized neutron star does not provide a good mechanism for the central compression and possible phase transition. Substantial central compression is possible for a broad range of masses of slowly-rotating initial configurations for magnetized neutron stars. Accretion-induced central compression is particularly strong for stiff equation of state with a high-density softening.