Speaker
Description
We present a model-independent framework to study neutron star (NS) cores by reformulating the Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff (TOV) equations into a dimensionless form using scaled pressure and energy density. This intrinsic and perturbative analysis (IPAD-TOV) enables direct extraction of core equation-of-state (EOS) information from NS observables such as mass, radius, and compactness, without relying on any specific nuclear EOS model. We demonstrate that the inherent nonlinearity of the TOV equations forbids a linear EOS in the stellar core and leads to universal scaling relations connecting NS observables to their central thermodynamic conditions. Crucially, by combining these relations with the stability condition we reveal why there must exist a maximum mass for stable NSs. Our approach further constrains the EOS at the centers of canonical and massive NSs and sheds light on the properties of the densest visible matter in our Universe.
| Presentation Style | Oral Presentation |
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