Transcript PPT - ICRA

MICHAEL ROTONDO*
R. RUFFINI*°^
S-S. XUE*°
*DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND ICRA, UNIVERSITY OF ROME “SAPIENZA”
°ICRANET, PESCARA
^ICRANET,UNIVERSITY OF NICE “SOPHIA ANTIPOLIS”
THIRD STUECKELBERG MEETING
JULY 11 2008, PESCARA, ITALY
The energy source as crucial factor in the
understanding of astrophysical phenomena
Some astrophysical open problems

The problem of the almost known equations of state for neutron stars which are not
able to reproduce the observations in millisecond binary pulsars

The problem of explaining the energetics of the emission of the remnant during the
collapse to a neutron star

The problem of formation of the supercritical fields during the collapse to a black hole
It is our opinion that the solution of these problems could find their natural explanation
from a yet unexplored field : the electro-dynamical structure of a neutron star.
In this work we outline a few crucial ideas of how a Thomas-Fermi approach to neutron
stars can indeed represent an important step in identify this crucial feature.
Thomas-Fermi model
White Dwarfs and Neutron Stars as Thomas-Fermi
systems
White Dwarfs and Neutron Stars as Thomas-Fermi
systems
The relativistic Thomas-Fermi equation
The essential role of the non-point-like nucleus
Electrodynamics of nuclear matter in bulk
n, p, e
n, p, e
Electromagnetic components
Proton
component
Poisson
equation
Electron
component
The dimensionless Thomas-Fermi equation
The neutron component and the A-Np relation
Generalized A-Np relation and the penetration of
electrons inside the core
The ultra-relativistic approximation
Coulomb potential energy and electric field
The electric field and the muon/pion production
Gravitational and electrodynamical stability
The inapplicability of the free test particle
approximation
Neutral nuclear matter cores vs supercharged
ones
Consequences for Neutron Stars
Different proton profiles
Conclusions
1- The requirement of beta decay equilibrium appears to be necessary for
obtaining from first principles the phenomenological relations between A and
Np adopted in superheavy nuclei.
2-The Thomas-Fermi equation is a good example of the possibility that collective
effects of relativistic quantum statistics leads to electric fields in astrophysical
situations with values much larger than the ones suggested by the test particle
approximation.
3-The possibility of having stable massive cores describable based solely on
gravitational, electromagnetic and weak interactions and relativistic quantum
statistics opens a whole new scenario for the study of neutron star
configurations close to their critical mass and the subsequent approach to
process of gravitational collapse to a Kerr-Newman black hole.
References
[1]
J. Ferreirinho, R. Ruffini, L. Stella, Phys. Lett. B
91, (1980) 442.
[2]
R.Ruffini, M. Rotondo, S.S. Xue, Int. Journal of Modern Phys. D Vol. 16, No. 1 (2007) 1-9.
[3]
A.B. Migdal, D.N. Voskresenskii, V.S. Popov, Sov. Phys. JETP 45 (3), (1977) 436.
[4] R.Rotondo, R. Ruffini, S.S.Xue, in the “Proceedings of the fourth Italian-Sino Workshop
on Relativistic Astrophysics”, C.L. Bianco, S.S. Xue (eds.), AIP Conf. Proc. 966, 147 (2008).
[5] B. Patricelli, R.Rotondo, R. Ruffini, in the “Proceedings of the fourth Italian-Sino
Workshop on Relativistic Astrophysics”, C.L. Bianco, S.S. Xue (eds.), AIP Conf. Proc. 966,
143 (2008).
[6] J. Madsen, Phys. Rev. Lett., Vol. 100, 151102 (2008).
[7] R.Ruffini, M. Rotondo, S.S. Xue , submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett. (2008).