Conformality Thresholds in Neutron Stars

TL;DR

This paper investigates the behavior of the speed of sound in neutron star matter, comparing criteria for conformality and analyzing how theoretical and astrophysical constraints influence the onset of nearly conformal matter.

Contribution

It provides a comparative analysis of conformality criteria in neutron-star matter using current theoretical and astrophysical constraints.

Findings

Conformal criteria vary in identifying nearly conformal matter.

The onset of conformality is constrained by combined theoretical and astrophysical data.

Speed of sound behavior is crucial for understanding neutron star matter.

Abstract

The dense-matter equation of state (EOS) under neutron-star conditions is investigated. We focus on the qualitative behavior of the speed of sound and its average. We characterize and compare the theoretical criteria for identifying nearly conformal matter. We find that the consistency of these criteria in determining the onset of conformal matter is dictated by the combined state-of-the-art theoretical and astrophysical constraints.