The QCD Critical End Point Under Strong Magnetic Fields

We use the three-flavor Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model, which includes strangeness and quark physical masses in the mean field approximation, to investigate the influence of strong magnetic fields on the QCD phase diagram covering the whole $T-\mu$ plane. It is found that the size of the first order transition line increases as the field strength increases so that a larger coexistence region for hadronic and quark matter should be expected for strong magnetic fields. The location of the critical end point is also affected by the presence of magnetic fields which invariably increase the temperature value at which the first order line terminates. On the other hand, the critical end point chemical potential value displays a subtle oscillation around the B=0 value for magnetic fields within the $10^{17}-10^{20} \, {\rm G}$ range. These findings may have non trivial consequences for the physics of magnetars and heavy ion collisions.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure

Collective modes in relativistic npe matter at finite temperature

Isospin and density waves in neutral neutron-proton-electron (npe) matter are studied within a relativistic mean-field hadron model at finite temperature with the inclusion of the electromagnetic field. The dispersion relation is calculated and the collective modes are obtained. The unstable modes are discussed and the spinodals, which separate the stable from the unstable regions, are shown for different values of the momentum transfer at various temperatures. The critical temperatures are compared with the ones obtained in a system without electrons. The largest critical temperature, 12.39 MeV, occurs for a proton fraction y_p=0.47. For y_p=0.3 we get $T_{cr}$ =5 MeV and for y_p>0.495 $T_cr\lesssim 8$ MeV. It is shown that at finite temperature the distillation effect in asymmetric matter is not so efficient and that electron effects are particularly important for small momentum transfers.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure

Light clusters and the pasta phase

The effects of including light clusters in nuclear matter at low densities are investigated within four different parametrizations of relativistic models at finite temperature. Both homogeneous and inhomogeneous matter (pasta phase) are described for neutral nuclear matter with fixed proton fractions. We discuss the effect of the density dependence of the symmetry energy, the temperature and the proton fraction on the non-homogeneous matter forming the inner crust of proto-neutron stars. It is shown that the number of nucleons in the clusters, the cluster proton fraction and the sizes of the Wigner Seitz cell and of the cluster are very sensitive to the density dependence of the symmetry energy.Comment: 14 pages, 14 figures; Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Relativistic Mean-Field Hadronic Models under Nuclear Matter Constraints

Relativistic mean-field (RMF) models have been widely used in the study of many hadronic frameworks because of several important aspects not always present in nonrelativistic models, such as intrinsic Lorentz covariance, automatic inclusion of spin, appropriate saturation mechanism for nuclear matter, causality and, therefore, no problems related to superluminal speed of sound. With the aim of identifying the models which best satisfy well known properties of nuclear matter, we have analyzed $263$ parameterizations of seven different types of RMF models under three different sets of constraints related to symmetric nuclear matter, pure neutron matter, symmetry energy, and its derivatives. One of these (SET1) is formed of the same constraints used in a recent work [M. Dutra et al., Phys. Rev. C 85, 035201 (2012)] in which we analyzed $240$ Skyrme parameterizations. The results pointed to $2$ models consistent with all constraints. By using another set of constraints, namely, SET2a, formed by the updated versions of the previous one, we found $4$ models approved simultaneously. Finally, in the third set, named SET2b, in which the values of the constraints are more restrictive, we found $3$ consistent models. Another interesting feature of our analysis is that the results change dramatically if we do not consider the constraint regarding the volume part of the isospin incompressibility ($K_{\tau,\rm v}$). In this case, we have $35$ approved models in SET2a and $30$ in SET2b.Comment: 63 pages, 3 figures and 9 tables. Version accepted for publication in PR

Instabilities in asymmetric nuclear matter

The existence of phase transitions from liquid to gas phases in asymmetric nuclear matter (ANM) is related with the instability regions which are limited by the spinodals. In this work we investigate the instabilities in ANM described within relativistic mean field hadron models, both with constant and density dependent couplings at zero and finite temperatures. In calculating the proton and neutron chemical potentials we have used an expansion in terms of Bessel functions that is convenient at low densities. The role of the isovector scalar $\delta$-meson is also investigated in the framework of relativistic mean field models and density dependent hadronic models. It is shown that the main differences occur at finite temperature and large isospin asymmetry close to the boundary of the instability regions.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures; to appear in Phys. Rev.

Density Dependent Parametrization Models: Formalism and Applications

In this work we derive a formalism to incorporate asymmetry and temperature effects in the Brown-Rho (BR) scaled lagrangian model in a mean field theory. The lagrangian density discussed in this work requires less parameters than the usual models with density dependent couplings. We also present the formalism with the inclusion of the eight lightest baryons, two lightest leptons, beta equilibrium and charge neutrality in order to apply the BR scaled model to the study of neutron stars. The results are again compared with the ones obtained from another density dependent parametrization model. The role played by the rearrangement term at T=0 for nuclear or neutron star matter and at finite temperature is investigated. The BR scaled model is shown to be a good tool in studies involving density dependent effective masses and in astrophysics applications.Comment: 23 pages, 10 figure

The pasta phase within density dependent hadronic models

In the present paper we investigate the onset of the pasta phase with different parametrisations of the density dependent hadronic model and compare the results with one of the usual parametrisation of the non-linear Walecka model. The influence of the scalar-isovector virtual delta meson is shown. At zero temperature two different methods are used, one based on coexistent phases and the other on the Thomas-Fermi approximation. At finite temperature only the coexistence phases method is used. npe matter with fixed proton fractions and in beta-equilibrium are studied. We compare our results with restrictions imposed on the the values of the density and pressure at the inner edge of the crust, obtained from observations of the Vela pulsar and recent isospin diffusion data from heavy-ion reactions, and with predictions from spinodal calculations.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures and 7 table

Compositeness effects, Pauli's principle and entanglement

We analyse some compositeness effects and their relation with entanglement. We show that the purity of a composite system increases, in the sense of the expectation values of the deviation operators, with large values of the entanglement between the components of the system. We also study the validity of Pauli's principle in composite systems. It is valid within the limits of application of the approach presented here. We also present an example of two identical fermions, one of them entangled with a distinguishable particle, where the exclusion principle cannot be applied. This result can be important in the description of open systems

Relativistic Mean-Field Models and Nuclear Matter Constraints

This work presents a preliminary study of 147 relativistic mean-field (RMF) hadronic models used in the literature, regarding their behavior in the nuclear matter regime. We analyze here different kinds of such models, namely: (i) linear models, (ii) nonlinear \sigma^3+\sigma^4 models, (iii) \sigma^3+\sigma^4+\omega^4 models, (iv) models containing mixing terms in the fields \sigma and \omega, (v) density dependent models, and (vi) point-coupling ones. In the finite range models, the attractive (repulsive) interaction is described in the Lagrangian density by the \sigma (\omega) field. The isospin dependence of the interaction is modeled by the \rho meson field. We submit these sets of RMF models to eleven macroscopic (experimental and empirical) constraints, used in a recent study in which 240 Skyrme parametrizations were analyzed. Such constraints cover a wide range of properties related to symmetric nuclear matter (SNM), pure neutron matter (PNM), and both SNM and PNM.Comment: 3 Pages, submitted for proceedings of XXXV Reuni\~ao de Trabalho sobre F\'isica Nuclear no Brasil 201