Sometimes neutron stars collide with each other, producing most of the heavy elements, such as silver and gold. Therefore, neutron stars and their collisions are considered unique laboratories for studying the properties of matter at densities far exceeding the densities in atomic nuclei.
Heavy ion collision experiments with particle accelerators are an additional way to produce and study matter at high densities and under extreme conditions.
Recent advances in astronomy with many reports have allowed an international research team of scientists from Germany, the Netherlands, the United States and Sweden to gain new insights into the fundamental interactions in nuclear matter. By combining data from heavy ion experiments, gravitational wave measurements and other astronomical observations, scientists are limiting the properties of nuclear matter found inside neutron stars.
Sabrina Hutt, Institute of Nuclear Physics at the Technical University of Darmstadt, said: “Combining knowledge of nuclear theory, nuclear experiment and astrophysical observations is essential to shedding light on the properties of neutron-rich matter across the density range studied. in neutron stars. We find that the limitations of collisions of gold ions with particle accelerators show remarkable consistency with astrophysical observations, although they are obtained by completely different methods.
In this study, scientists included information from heavy ion collisions in a framework that combines astronomical observations of electromagnetic signals, gravitational wave measurements and high-performance astrophysical calculations with theoretical calculations of nuclear physics.
The authors used data from gold ion collision experiments at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung in Darmstadt, as well as the Brookhaven National Laboratory and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the United States, in their multi-stage procedure that analyzes nuclear constraints and observations. , such as measurements of the mass of the neutron star by radio observations and information from the internal composition of the neutron star.
Additional density constraints, where nuclear theory and astrophysical observations are less sensitive, are activated by including data from heavy ion collisions in the analysis. This helped to develop a more comprehensive knowledge of dense matter. Improved restrictions on heavy ion collisions should help bridge the gap between future nuclear theory and astrophysical observations by providing additional data.
Experiments that investigate higher densities while reducing experimental uncertainty, in particular, offer much promise of providing new constraints on neutron star characteristics. In the coming years, new knowledge from both sides can be included in the framework to improve our understanding of dense matter.
Journal reference:
- Huth, S., Pang, PTH, Tews, I. et al. Restriction of neutron star matter by microscopic and macroscopic collisions. Nature 606, 276–280 (2022). DOI: 10.1038 / s41586-022-04750-w
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