Chapter 1
Astrophysical Constraints on Dense
Matter in Neutron Stars
M. Coleman Miller
Contents
1.1 Introduction . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
2
1.2 Expectations from Nuclear Theory .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
3
1.2.1 The Basics: Dense Matter and Neutron Stars .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
3
1.2.2 Models of Matter at High Densities. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
6
1.2.3 Construction of Neutron Star Models from Microphysics . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
9
1.3 Constraints on Mass from Binary Observations . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 10
1.3.1 Newtonian Observations of Binaries. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 10
1.3.2 Post-Keplerian Measurements of Pulsar Binaries . . .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 11
1.3.3 Dynamically Estimated Neutron Star Masses and Future Prospects . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 13
1.4 Constraints on Radius, and Other Mass Constraints . .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 15
1.4.1 Thermonuclear X-ray Bursts . ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 15
1.4.2 Fits of Thermal Spectra to Cooling Neutron Stars . .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 18
1.4.3 Modeling of Waveforms . . .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 22
1.4.4 Maximum Spin Rate . . .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 24
1.4.5 Kilohertz QPOs . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 25
1.4.6 Other Methods to Determine the Radius and Future Prospects. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 27
1.5 Cooling of Neutron Stars . .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 28
1.5.1 The URCA Processes . .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 29
1.5.2 Additional Neutrino Production Channels
and Suppression. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 30
1.5.3 Photon Luminosity and the Minimal Cooling Model .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 31
1.5.4 Observations and Systematic Errors .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 32
1.5.5 Current Status and Future Prospects .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 33
1.6 Gravitational Waves from Coalescing Binaries .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 34
1.7 Summary . ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 37
References . .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 39
M. C. Miller ()
Department of Astronomy and Joint Space-Science Institute, University of Maryland, College
Park, MD, USA
e-mail: miller@astro.umd.edu
© Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2021
T. M. Belloni et al. (eds.), Timing Neutron Stars: Pulsations, Oscillations
and Explosions, Astrophysics and Space Science Library 461,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-62110-3_1
1
Astrophysical Constraints on Dense
Matter in Neutron Stars
M. Coleman Miller
Contents
1.1 Introduction . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
2
1.2 Expectations from Nuclear Theory .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
3
1.2.1 The Basics: Dense Matter and Neutron Stars .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
3
1.2.2 Models of Matter at High Densities. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
6
1.2.3 Construction of Neutron Star Models from Microphysics . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
9
1.3 Constraints on Mass from Binary Observations . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 10
1.3.1 Newtonian Observations of Binaries. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 10
1.3.2 Post-Keplerian Measurements of Pulsar Binaries . . .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 11
1.3.3 Dynamically Estimated Neutron Star Masses and Future Prospects . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 13
1.4 Constraints on Radius, and Other Mass Constraints . .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 15
1.4.1 Thermonuclear X-ray Bursts . ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 15
1.4.2 Fits of Thermal Spectra to Cooling Neutron Stars . .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 18
1.4.3 Modeling of Waveforms . . .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 22
1.4.4 Maximum Spin Rate . . .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 24
1.4.5 Kilohertz QPOs . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 25
1.4.6 Other Methods to Determine the Radius and Future Prospects. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 27
1.5 Cooling of Neutron Stars . .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 28
1.5.1 The URCA Processes . .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 29
1.5.2 Additional Neutrino Production Channels
and Suppression. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 30
1.5.3 Photon Luminosity and the Minimal Cooling Model .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 31
1.5.4 Observations and Systematic Errors .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 32
1.5.5 Current Status and Future Prospects .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 33
1.6 Gravitational Waves from Coalescing Binaries .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 34
1.7 Summary . ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 37
References . .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 39
M. C. Miller ()
Department of Astronomy and Joint Space-Science Institute, University of Maryland, College
Park, MD, USA
e-mail: miller@astro.umd.edu
© Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2021
T. M. Belloni et al. (eds.), Timing Neutron Stars: Pulsations, Oscillations
and Explosions, Astrophysics and Space Science Library 461,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-62110-3_1
1