Phenomenological QCD equation of state for massive neutron stars

TL;DR

This paper develops a phenomenological QCD-based equation of state for massive neutron stars, integrating hadronic and quark models to satisfy physical constraints and match observational data.

Contribution

It introduces a novel three-region interpolation method combining APR and NJL models, emphasizing non-perturbative gluon effects at high densities.

Findings

Equation of state can support massive neutron stars.

Gluon dynamics remain non-perturbative at high densities.

Constraints tightly limit the stiffness of feasible equations of state.

Abstract

We construct an equation of state for massive neutron stars based on quantum chromodynamics phenomenology. Our primary purpose is to delineate the relevant ingredients of equations of state that simultaneously have the required stiffness and satisfy constraints from thermodynamics and causality. These ingredients are: (i) a repulsive density-density interaction, universal for all flavors; (ii) the color-magnetic interaction active from low to high densities; (iii) confining effects, which become increasingly important as the baryon density decreases; (iv) non-perturbative gluons, which are not very sensitive to changes of the quark density. We use the following "3-window" description: At baryon densities below about twice normal nuclear density, 2n_0, we use the Akmal-Pandharipande-Ravenhall (APR) equation of state, and at high densities, > (4-7)n_0, we use the three-flavor Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model supplemented by vector and diquark interactions. In the transition density region, we smoothly interpolate the hadronic and quark equations of state in the chemical potential-pressure plane. Requiring that the equation of state approach APR at low densities, we find that the quark pressure in non-confining models can be larger than the hadronic pressure, unlike in conventional equations of state. We show that consistent equations of state of stiffness sufficient to allow massive neutron stars are reasonably tightly constrained, suggesting that gluon dynamics remains non-perturbative even at baryon densities ~10n_0.