Caloric curves of self-gravitating fermions in general relativity

TL;DR

This paper investigates the phase transitions and caloric curves of self-gravitating Fermi gases in general relativity, revealing conditions for equilibrium, collapse, and connections to astrophysical phenomena like white dwarfs and black holes.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of phase transitions in relativistic Fermi gases, including the effects of system size and particle number, and relates these to astrophysical objects and phenomena.

Findings

Caloric curves depend on system size and particle number.

Equilibrium states exist below the Oppenheimer-Volkoff limit, preventing collapse.

Collapse to black holes occurs above the critical particle number.

Abstract

We study the nature of phase transitions between gaseous and condensed states in the self-gravitating Fermi gas at nonzero temperature in general relativity. The condensed states can represent compact objects such as white dwarfs, neutron stars, or dark matter fermion balls. The caloric curves depend on two parameters: the system size $R$ and the particle number $N$. When $N<N_{\rm OV}$, where $N_{\rm OV}$ is the Oppenheimer-Volkoff limit, there exists an equilibrium state for any value of the temperature $T$ and of the energy $E$ as in the nonrelativistic case [P.H. Chavanis, Int. J. Mod. Phys. B 20, 3113 (2006)]. Gravitational collapse is prevented by quantum mechanics (Pauli's exclusion principle). When $N>N_{\rm OV}$, there is no equilibrium state below a critical energy and below a critical temperature. In that case, the system is expected to collapse towards a black hole. We plot the caloric curves of the general relativistic Fermi gas, study the different types of phase transitions that occur in the system, and determine the phase diagram in the $(R,N)$ plane. The nonrelativistic results are recovered for $N\ll N_{\rm OV}$ and $R\gg R_{\rm OV}$ with $NR^3$ fixed. The classical results are recovered for $N\gg N_{\rm OV}$ and $R\gg R_{\rm OV}$ with $N/R$ fixed. We highlight a situation of physical interest where a gaseous Fermi gas, by cooling, first undergoes a phase transition towards a compact object (white dwarf, neutron star, dark matter fermion ball), then collapses into a black hole. This situation occurs in the microcanonical ensemble when $N_{\rm OV}<N<3.73\, N_{\rm OV}$. We also relate the phase transitions from a gaseous state to a core-halo state in the microcanonical ensemble to the onset of red-giant structure and to the supernova phenomenon.