Theoretical nuclear modeling for Massive Neutron Stars

Neutron stars represent the densest visible stellar objects whose dynamics are controlled by the nuclear forces at high densities. In the proposed research, we will consider different models for high density nuclear interactions based on the fundamental theory of quark-gluon interactions. Recently, the dominance of the proton-neutron interaction in the Short-Range Correlations (SRCs) of the nucleons in high density asymmetric nuclear matter predict that protons will populate the high-momentum parts of the stellar interior. Using these models, we will calculate the neutron star parameters, such as mass and the radius. and compare them with current observations. The primary goal of the research is to understand dynamics which are responsible for recently observed anomalously massive neutrons stars exceeding two solar masses. The nuclear equation of state describes dense nuclear matter and its correlation with the critical mass of the object and must be tweaked to incorporate relevant nuclear effects. Identifying the most relevant nuclear force model that describes the current astrophysical observations will allow us to make new predictions related to the neutron star radiation and mergers. The latter is being considered as the main source of gravitational waves.