On the minimum mass of neutron stars

TL;DR

This paper combines stellar evolution and supernova simulations to determine the minimum mass of neutron stars, finding it to be around 1.17 solar masses, consistent with observational data.

Contribution

It provides a detailed theoretical estimate of the minimum neutron star mass using advanced simulation techniques, aligning with observed low-mass neutron stars.

Findings

Minimum neutron star mass is approximately 1.17 solar masses.

Standard stellar evolution scenarios can produce neutron stars with this minimum mass.

Results agree with the lowest observed neutron star mass in a binary system.

Abstract

We investigate remnant neutron star masses (in particular, the minimum allowed mass) by performing advanced stellar evolution calculations and neutrino-radiation hydrodynamics simulations for core-collapse supernova explosions. We find that, based on standard astrophysical scenarios, low-mass carbon-oxygen cores can have sufficiently massive iron cores that eventually collapse, explode as supernovae, and give rise to remnant neutron stars that have a minimum mass of 1.17 M$_\odot$ --- compatible with the lowest mass of the neutron star precisely measured in a binary system of PSR J0453+1559.