Baryon onset in a magnetic field

TL;DR

This paper investigates how external magnetic fields influence the critical baryon chemical potential for nuclear matter onset, showing that strong magnetic fields increase this threshold by affecting vacuum mass and binding energy.

Contribution

The study demonstrates, using relativistic mean-field models, that magnetic fields increase vacuum mass and binding energy, thereby raising the critical baryon chemical potential.

Findings

Magnetic fields increase vacuum mass and binding energy.

Critical baryon chemical potential rises with magnetic field strength.

Magnetic catalysis effects are included, anomalous magnetic moments are omitted.

Abstract

The critical baryon chemical potential for the onset of nuclear matter is a function of the vacuum mass and the binding energy. Both quantities are affected by an external magnetic field. We show within two relativistic mean-field models - including magnetic catalysis, but omitting the anomalous magnetic moment - that a magnetic field increases both the vacuum mass and the binding energy. For sufficiently large magnetic fields, the effect on the vacuum mass dominates and as a result the critical baryon chemical potential is increased.