Dwarf (Twin) Neutron Stars I: Did GW170817 Involve One?

TL;DR

This paper proposes the existence of dwarf neutron stars, stable twin objects with lower maximum mass, which could reconcile conflicting observational data from GW170817, NICER, and PREX-II, and provide new insights into fundamental physics.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of dwarf neutron stars as stable twin counterparts to neutron stars, explaining their potential to resolve current observational discrepancies and impact our understanding of QCD and dark matter.

Findings

Dwarf neutron stars can explain conflicting size measurements of neutron stars.

Their existence offers testable predictions for future observations.

Potential implications for the QCD phase diagram and dark sector physics.

Abstract

Dwarf neutron stars are stable twins of neutron stars but with a maximum mass less than that of neutron stars. Their existence brings into concordance the seemingly conflicting information on the size of neutron stars inferred from gravitational waves from GW170817, from the NICER mission, and from the PREX-II experiment. Their distinctive characteristics lead to rich and falsifiable predictions that are expected to be tested in the near future. If corroborated, the existence of dwarf neutron stars would substantially improve our understanding of the QCD phase diagram and offer valuable insights into the dark sector.