Confirming the existence of twin stars in a NICER way

TL;DR

This paper explores how future NICER radius measurements could confirm a strong phase transition in neutron star matter by identifying twin stars with identical masses but different radii, indicating a phase change.

Contribution

It demonstrates that NICER data can potentially reveal twin stars, providing evidence for a strong phase transition in dense neutron star matter using relativistic mean field models.

Findings

Twin star solutions are compatible with current NICER radius constraints.

Twin stars would have radii below current NICER measurements, indicating a strong phase transition.

A strong phase transition likely occurs in neutron stars with masses above 2 solar masses.

Abstract

We demonstrate that future radius measurement of the NICER mission have the potential to reveal the existence of a strong phase transition in dense neutron star matter by confirming the existence of so called twin stars, compact star configurations with the same mass but different radii. The latest radius constraints from NICER for the pulsars J0740+6620 as well as J0030+0451 are discussed using relativistic mean field equations of state with varying stiffness, connected with a first order phase transition to quark matter. We show, that twin star solutions are compatible with the new radius constraint but are located at radii \emph{below} the present constraints from NICER serving as a smoking gun for a strong phase transition in neutron star matter. This scenario is realized if a strong phase transition takes place in neutron stars of the first branch with masses above $2\,M_\odot$.