Monthly Colloquium: Neutron Stars as a Laboratory for the Nuclear Symmetry Energy
by
Prof.Andrew W. Steiner(Institute for Nuclear Theory, University of Washington)
→
Asia/Tokyo
Nishina Hall
Nishina Hall
Description
Neutron stars provide an exciting laboratory for the physics of matter
at extreme densities. I show how neutron star mass and radius
measurements are providing a constraint on the equation of state of
matter, moving us closer to the elusive answer to the question, "What
are neutron stars are made of?" The first quantitative statistical
analysis these equation of state constraints will be presented, and it
will be shown that several oft-used theoretical models are ruled out
by the data. The nuclear symmetry energy is a quantity of fundamental
importance for nuclear physics and astrophysics. Combining these mass
and radius observations with recent quantum Monte Carlo calculations
of pure neutron matter provides an exciting constraint on the nuclear
symmetry energy.
