Constraining neutron-star matter with microscopic and macroscopic collisions

Sabrina Huth (), Peter T. H. Pang (), Ingo Tews, Tim Dietrich, Arnaud Fèvre, Achim Schwenk, Wolfgang Trautmann, Kshitij Agarwal, Mattia Bulla, Michael W. Coughlin and Chris Broeck
Additional contact information
Sabrina Huth: Technische Universität Darmstadt
Peter T. H. Pang: Nikhef
Ingo Tews: Los Alamos National Laboratory
Tim Dietrich: Universität Potsdam
Arnaud Fèvre: GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH
Achim Schwenk: Technische Universität Darmstadt
Wolfgang Trautmann: GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH
Kshitij Agarwal: Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen
Mattia Bulla: Stockholm University, AlbaNova
Michael W. Coughlin: University of Minnesota
Chris Broeck: Nikhef

Nature, 2022, vol. 606, issue 7913, 276-280

Abstract: Abstract Interpreting high-energy, astrophysical phenomena, such as supernova explosions or neutron-star collisions, requires a robust understanding of matter at supranuclear densities. However, our knowledge about dense matter explored in the cores of neutron stars remains limited. Fortunately, dense matter is not probed only in astrophysical observations, but also in terrestrial heavy-ion collision experiments. Here we use Bayesian inference to combine data from astrophysical multi-messenger observations of neutron stars1–9 and from heavy-ion collisions of gold nuclei at relativistic energies10,11 with microscopic nuclear theory calculations12–17 to improve our understanding of dense matter. We find that the inclusion of heavy-ion collision data indicates an increase in the pressure in dense matter relative to previous analyses, shifting neutron-star radii towards larger values, consistent with recent observations by the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer mission5–8,18. Our findings show that constraints from heavy-ion collision experiments show a remarkable consistency with multi-messenger observations and provide complementary information on nuclear matter at intermediate densities. This work combines nuclear theory, nuclear experiment and astrophysical observations, and shows how joint analyses can shed light on the properties of neutron-rich supranuclear matter over the density range probed in neutron stars.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04750-w

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