RMF models with σ\sigma-scaled hadron masses and couplings for description of heavy-ion collisions below 2A GeV

Within the relativistic mean-field framework with hadron masses and coupling constants dependent on the mean scalar field we study properties of nuclear matter at finite temperatures, baryon densities and isospin asymmetries relevant for heavy-ion collisions at laboratory energies below 2$A$ GeV. Previously constructed (KVORcut-based and MKVOR-based) models for the description of the cold hadron matter, which differ mainly by the density dependence of the nucleon effective mass and symmetry energy, are extended for finite temperatures. The baryon equation of state, which includes nucleons and $\Delta$ resonances is supplemented by the contribution of the pion gas described either by the vacuum dispersion relation or with taking into account the $s$-wave pion-baryon interaction. Distribution of the charge between components is found. Thermodynamical characteristics on $T-n$ plane are considered. The energy-density and entropy-density isotherms are constructed and a dynamical trajectory of the hadron system formed in heavy-ion collisions is described. The effects of taking into account the $\Delta$ isobars and the $s$-wave pion-nucleon interaction on pion differential cross sections, pion to proton and $\pi^-/\pi^+$ ratios are studied. The liquid-gas first-order phase transition is studied within the same models in isospin-symmetric and asymmetric systems. We demonstrate that our models yield thermodynamic characteristics of the phase transition compatible with available experimental results. In addition, we discuss the scaled variance of baryon and electric charge in the phase transition region. Effect of the non-zero surface tension on spatial redistribution of the electric charge is considered for a possible application to heavy-ion collisions at low energies.Comment: 26 pages, 17 figures; matches the submitted versio

Medium effects in the pion pole mechanism (photon photon --> pion-zero --> neutrino-R antineutrino-L (neutrino-L antineutrino-R)) of neutron star cooling

Nuclear medium effects in the neutrino cooling of neutron stars through the exotic reaction channel \gamma \gamma --> \pi^0--> \nu_R \bar{\nu_L} (\nu_L \bar{\nu_R}) are incorporated. Throughout the paper we discuss different possibilities of right-handed neutrinos, massive left-handed neutrinos and standard massless left-handed neutrinos (reaction is then allowed only with medium modified vertices). It is demonstrated that multi-particle effects suppress the rate of this reaction channel by 6-7 orders of magnitude that does not allow to decrease existing experimental upper limit on the corresponding \pi^0\nu\bar{\nu} coupling. Other possibilities of the manifestation of the given reaction channel in differente physical situations, e.g. in the quark color superconducting cores of some neutron stars, are also discussed. We demonstrate that in the color-flavor-locked superconducting phase for temperatures T < (0.1-10) MeV (depending on the effective pion mass and the decay width) the process is feasibly the most efficient neutrino cooling process, although the absolute value of the reaction is rather small.Comment: Replaced with revised version. New appendix, many clarifying comments, corrected figs 3 and

Diquark Condensates and Compact Star Cooling

The effect of color superconductivity on the cooling of quark stars and neutron stars with large quark cores is investigated. Various known and new quark-neutrino processes are studied. As a result, stars being in the color flavor locked (CFL) color superconducting phase cool down extremely fast. Quark stars with no crust cool down too rapidly in disagreement with X-ray data. The cooling of stars being in the N_f =2 color superconducting (2SC) phase with a crust is compatible with existing X-ray data. Also the cooling history of stars with hypothetic pion condensate nuclei and a crust does not contradict the data.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

BCS approximation to the effective vector vertex of superfluid fermions

We examine the effective interaction of nonrelativistic fermions with an external vector field in superfluid systems. In contrast to the complicated vertex equation, usually used in this case, we apply the approach which does not employ an explicit form of the pairing interaction. This allows to obtain a simple analytic expression for the vertex function only in terms of the order parameter and other macroscopic parameters of the system. We use this effective vertex to analyze the linear response function of the superfluid medium at finite temperatures. At the time-like momentum transfer, the imaginary part of the response function is found to be proportional to the fourth power of small Fermi velocity, i.e. the energy losses through vector currents are strongly suppressed. As an application, we calculate the neutrino energy losses through neutral weak currents caused by the pair recombination in the superfluid neutron matter at temperatures lower than the critical one for S-wave pairing. This approach confirms a strong suppression of the neutrino energy losses as predicted in Ref.[4].Comment: 19 pages, no figure

Viscosity coefficients for hadron and quark-gluon phases

The shear ($\eta$) and bulk ($\zeta$) viscosities are calculated in a quasiparticle relaxation time approximation. The hadron phase is described within the relativistic mean field based model with scaled hadron masses and couplings. The quark phase is treated in terms of the heavy quark bag model fitted to the lattice data. A two-phase model allowing for the first order phase transition from the hadron phase to the strongly coupled quark gluon plasma is constructed by means of the Gibbs conditions. Temperature and baryon density dependence of the calculated viscosity-to-entropy ratios ($\eta/s$, $\zeta/s$) are analyzed and compared with those obtained in other models. Special attention is paid to the behavior of viscosity coefficients near the critical temperature, from both hadron and quark-gluon side. Effects of resonance widths on viscosities and viscosity-to-entropy ratios are estimated.Comment: 56 pages, 22 figure

Relativistic Mean-Field Model with Scaled Hadron Masses and Couplings

Here we continue to elaborate properties of the relativistic mean-field based model (SHMC) proposed in ref. [6] where hadron masses and coupling constants depend on the $\sigma$-meson field. The validity of approximations used in [6] is discussed. We additionally incorporate contribution of meson excitations to the equations of motion. We also estimate the effects of the particle width. It is demonstrated that the inclusion of the baryon-baryon hole and baryon-antibaryon loop terms, if performed perturbatively, destroys the consistency of the model.Comment: 44 pages, 14 figures; corrected according to referee's remarks, version accepted for publication in Nucl. Phys.