Particles, Volume 5, Issue 3 (September 2022) – 14 articles

The development of a new approach to describe turbulent motions in condensed matter on the basis of nonlocal modeling of highly non-equilibrium processes in open systems is performed in parallel with an experiment studying the mesostructure of dynamically deformed solids. The shock-induced mesostructure formation inside the propagating waveform registered in real time allows the transient stages of non-equilibrium processes to be qualitatively and quantitatively revealed. A new nonlocal approach, developed on the basis of the nonlocal and retarded transport equations obtained within the non-equilibrium statistical physics, is used to describe the occurrence of turbulence. Within the approach, the reason for the transition to turbulence is that the non-equilibrium spatiotemporal correlation function generates the dynamic structures in the form of finite-size clusters on the mesoscale, with almost identical values of macroscopic densities moving as almost solid particles that can interact and rotate. The fragmentation of spatiotemporal correlations upon impact forms the mesoparticles that move at different speeds and transfer mass, momentum and energy-like wave packets. The movements recorded simultaneously at two scale levels indicate the energy exchange between them. Its description required a redefinition of the concept of energy far from local thermodynamic equilibrium. The experimental results show that the irreversible part of the dynamic mesostructure remains frozen into material as a new defect. Full article

The nuclear electron capture reaction possesses a prominent position among other weak interaction processes occurring in explosive nucleosynthesis, especially at the late stages of evolution of massive stars. In this work, we perform exclusive calculations of absolute $e^{-}$-capture cross sections using the proton–neutron (pn) quasi-particle random phase approximation. Thus, the results of this study can be used as predictions for experiments operating under the same conditions and in exploring the role of the $e^{-}$-capture process in the stellar environment at the pre-supernova and supernova phase of a massive star. The main goal of our study is to provide detailed state-by-state calculations of original cross sections for the $e^{-}$-capture on a set of isotopes around the iron group nuclei (${}^{28}$Si, ${}^{32}$S, ${}^{48}$Ti, ${}^{56}$Fe, ${}^{66}$Zn and ${}^{90}$Zr) that play a significant role in pre-supernova as well as in the core–collapse supernova phase in the energy range $0\le E\le 50$ MeV. Full article

The stellar electron capture on nuclei is an essential, semi-leptonic process that is especially significant in the central environment of core-collapse supernovae and in the explosive stellar nucleosynthesis. In this article, on the basis of the original (absolute) electron-capture cross-sections under laboratory conditions that we computed in our previous work for a set of medium-weight nuclear isotopes, we extend this study and evaluate folded $e^{-}$-capture rates in the stellar environment. With this aim, we assume that the parent nuclei and the projectile electrons interact when they are in the deep stellar interior during the late stages of the evolution of massive stars. Under these conditions (high matter densities and high temperatures of the pre-supernova and core-collapse supernova phases), we choose two categories of nuclei; the first includes the ${}^{48}Ti$ and ${}^{56}Fe$ isotopes that have $A<65$ and belong to the iron group of nuclei, and the second includes the heavier and more neutron-rich isotopes ${}^{66}Zn$ and ${}^{90}Zr$ (with $A>65$). In the former, the electron capture takes place mostly during the pre-supernova stage, while the latter occurs during the core-collapse supernova phase. A comparison with previous calculations, which were obtained by using various microscopic nuclear models employed for single-charge exchange nuclear reactions, is also included. Full article

We discuss the bulk viscosity of hot and dense $npe\mu$ matter arising from weak-interaction direct Urca processes. We consider two regimes of interest: (a) the neutrino-transparent regime with $T\le T_{\mathrm{tr}}$ ($T_{\mathrm{tr}}\simeq 5÷10$ MeV is the neutrino-trapping temperature); and (b) the neutrino-trapped regime with $T\ge T_{\mathrm{tr}}$. Nuclear matter is modeled in relativistic density functional approach with density-dependent parametrization DDME2. The maximum of the bulk viscosity is achieved at temperatures $T\simeq 5÷6$ MeV in the neutrino-transparent regime, then it drops rapidly at higher temperatures where neutrino-trapping occurs. As an astrophysical application, we estimate the damping timescales of density oscillations by the bulk viscosity in neutron star mergers and find that, e.g., at the oscillation frequency $f=10$ kHz, the damping will be very efficient at temperatures $4\le T\le 7$ MeV where the bulk viscosity might affect the evolution of the post-merger object. Full article

We present a combination of two quick guides aimed at summarizing relevant information about the CompOSE nuclear equation of state repository. The first is aimed at nuclear physicists and describes how to provide standard equation of state tables. The second quick guide is meant for users and describes the basic procedures to obtain customized tables with equation of state data. Several examples are included to help providers and users to understand and benefit from the CompOSE database. Full article

The mission here is to see if we can find bound states for tachyons in some gravitational environment. That could provide an explanation for the phenomena called Dark Matter. Starting with the standard Schwarzschild metric in General Relativity, which is for a static and spherically symmetric source, it appears unlikely that such localized orbits exist. In this work, the usual assumption of isotropic pressure is replaced by a model that has different pressures in the radial and angular directions. This should be relevant to the study of neutrinos, especially if they are tachyons, in cosmological models. We do find an arrangement that allows bound orbits for tachyons in a galaxy. This is a qualitative breakthrough. Then we go on to estimate the numbers involved and find that we do have a fair quantitative fit to the experimental data on the Galaxy Rotation Curve. Additionally we are led to look in the neighborhood of a Black Hole and there we find novel orbits for tachyons. Full article

An unambiguous definition of gravitational energy remains one of the unresolved issues of physics today. This problem is related to the non-localization of gravitational energy density. In General Relativity, there have been many proposals for defining the gravitational energy density, notably those proposed by Einstein, Tolman, Landau and Lifshitz, Papapetrou, Møller, and Weinberg. In this review, we firstly explored the energy–momentum complex in an $n^{th}$ order gravitational Lagrangian $L=L\left(g_{\mu \nu },g_{\mu \nu ,i_1},g_{\mu \nu ,i_1{i}_2},g_{\mu \nu ,i_1{i}_2{i}_3},\cdots ,g_{\mu \nu ,i_1{i}_2{i}_3\cdots i_n}\right)$ and then in a gravitational Lagrangian as $L_g=(\overline{R}+a_0{R}^2+{\sum }_{k=1}^p{a}_{k}R{\square }^{k}R)\sqrt{-g}$. Its gravitational part was obtained by invariance of gravitational action under infinitesimal rigid translations using Noether’s theorem. We also showed that this tensor, in general, is not a covariant object but only an affine object, that is, a pseudo-tensor. Therefore, the pseudo-tensor ${\tau }_{\alpha }^{\eta }$ becomes the one introduced by Einstein if we limit ourselves to General Relativity and its extended corrections have been explicitly indicated. The same method was used to derive the energy–momentum complex in $f\left(R\right)$ gravity both in Palatini and metric approaches. Moreover, in the weak field approximation the pseudo-tensor ${\tau }_{\alpha }^{\eta }$ to lowest order in the metric perturbation h was calculated. As a practical application, the power per unit solid angle $\Omega$ emitted by a localized source carried by a gravitational wave in a direction $\widehat{x}$ for a fixed wave number $\mathbf{k}$ under a suitable gauge was obtained, through the average value of the pseudo-tensor over a suitable spacetime domain and the local conservation of the pseudo-tensor. As a cosmological application, in a flat Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker spacetime, the gravitational and matter energy density in $f\left(R\right)$ gravity both in Palatini and metric formalism was proposed. The gravitational energy–momentum pseudo-tensor could be a useful tool to investigate further modes of gravitational radiation beyond two standard modes required by General Relativity and to deal with non-local theories of gravity involving ${\square }^{-k}$ terms. Full article

The worldwide advent of new laser facilities makes possible the investigation of the nuclear response to a very strong electromagnetic field. In this paper, we inquire on the excitation of one of the most conspicuous collective excitations, the giant dipole resonance, within the hydrodynamical model for a proton-neutron fluid mixture placed in a Skyrme mean-field and interacting with an external ultra-strong electromagnetic field. The variables of this approach are: proton and neutron displacement (velocity) fields, density fluctuations, and fluctuations of the electric field due to the coupling of the laser electromagnetic field to the dynamical distortions of the baryonic system (electro-magneto-hydrodynamical effect). We point out the occurrence of a multiresonance structure of the absorption cross-section. Full article

Multi-messenger observations of compact binary mergers provide a new way to constrain the nature of dark matter that may accumulate in and around neutron stars. In this article, we extend the infrastructure of our numerical-relativity code BAM to enable the simulation of neutron stars that contain an additional mirror dark matter component. We perform single star tests to verify our code and the first binary neutron star simulations of this kind. We find that the presence of dark matter reduces the lifetime of the merger remnant and favors a prompt collapse to a black hole. Furthermore, we find differences in the merger time for systems with the same total mass and mass ratio, but different amounts of dark matter. Finally, we find that electromagnetic signals produced by the merger of binary neutron stars admixed with dark matter are very unlikely to be as bright as their dark matter-free counterparts. Given the increased sensitivity of multi-messenger facilities, our analysis gives a new perspective on how to probe the presence of dark matter. Full article

The higgsino Lightest Supersymmetric Particle (LSP) scenario opens up the possibility of decays of strongly produced particles to an intermediate neutralino, due to the Yukawa-suppressed direct decays to the higgsino. Those decays produce multijet signals with a Higgs or a Z boson being produced in the decay of the intermediate neutralino to the LSP. In this paper, we study the discovery prospects of squarks that produce b-jets and leptons in the final state. Our collider analysis provides signal significances at the 3$\sigma$ level for luminosities of 1 ab${}^{-1}$, and at the 5$\sigma$ level if we project these results for 3 ab${}^{-1}$. Full article

Here, we propose a novel approach to experimentally and theoretically study the properties of QCD matter under new extreme conditions, namely having an initial temperature over 300 MeV and baryonic charge density over three times the values of the normal nuclear density. According to contemporary theoretical knowledge, such conditions were not accessible during the early Universe evolution and are not accessible now in the known astrophysical phenomena. To achieve these new extreme conditions, we proposed performing high-luminosity experiments at LHC or other colliders by means of scattering the two colliding beams at the nuclei of a solid target that is fixed at their interaction region. Under plausible assumptions, we estimate the reaction rate for the p+C+p and Pb+Pb+Pb reactions and discuss the energy deposition into the target and possible types of fixed targets for such reactions. To simulate the triple nuclear collisions, we employed the well-known UrQMD 3.4 model for the beam center-of-mass collision energies $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV. As a result of our modeling, we found that, in the most central and simultaneous triple nuclear collisions, the initial baryonic charge density is approximately three times higher than the one achieved in the ordinary binary nuclear collisions at this energy. Full article

We present a systematic analysis of heavy-flavour production in the underlying event in connection to a leading hard process in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV, using the PYTHIA 8 Monte Carlo event generator. We compare results from events selected by triggering on the leading hadron, as well as those triggered with reconstructed jets. We show that the kinematics of heavy-flavour fragmentation complicates the characterisation of the underlying event, and the usual method which uses the leading charged final-state hadron as a trigger may wash away the connection between the leading process and the heavy-flavour particle created in association with that. Events triggered with light or heavy-flavour jets, however, retain this connection and bring more direct information on the underlying heavy-flavour production process, but may also import unwanted sensitivity to gluon radiation. The methods outlined in the current work provide means to verify model calculations for light and heavy-flavour production in the jet and the underlying event in great details. Full article

Neutron stars are the densest objects in the Universe. In this paper, we consider the so-called inner crust—the layer where neutron-excess nuclei are immersed in the degenerate gas of electrons and a sea of quasi-free neutrons. It was generally believed that spherical nuclei become unstable with respect to quadrupole deformations at high densities, and here, we consider this instability. Within the perturbative approach, we show that spherical nuclei with equilibrium number density are, in fact, stable with respect to infinitesimal quadrupole deformation. This is due to the background of degenerate electrons and associated electrostatic potential, which maintain stability of spherical nuclei. However, if the number of atomic nuclei per unit volume is much less than the equilibrium value, instability can arise. To avoid confusion, we stress that our results are limited to infinitesimal deformations and do not guarantee strict thermodynamic stability of spherical nuclei. In particular, they do not exclude that substantially non-spherical nuclei (so-called pasta phase) represent a thermodynamic equilibrium state of the densest layers of the neutron star crust. Rather, our results point out that spherical nuclei can be metastable even if they are not energetically favourable, and the timescale of transformation of spherical nuclei to the pasta phases should be estimated subsequently. Full article