In the framework of the Brueckner-Bethe-Goldstone theory, we determine a fully microscopic equation of state for asymmetric and $\beta$-stable nuclear matter containing $\sim$ and $\la$ hyperons. We use the Paris and the new Argonne $Av_{18}$ two-body nucleon interaction, whereas the nucleon-hyperon interaction is described by the Njimegen soft-core model. We stress the role played by the three-body nucleon interaction, which produces a strong repulsion at high densities. This enhances enormously the hyperon population, and produces a strong softening of the equation of state, which turns out almost independent on the nucleon-nucleon interaction. We use the new equation of state in order to calculate the structure of static neutron stars. We obtain a maximum mass configuration with $M_{\rm max}$ = 1.26 (1.22) when the Paris ($Av_{18}$) nucleon potential is adopted. Central densities are about 10 times normal nuclear matter density. Stellar rotations, treated within a perturbative approach, increase the value of the limiting mass by about 12%.Comment: 16 pages, latex, 10 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

We study the hadron-quark phase transition in the interior of neutron stars (NS's). We calculate the equation of state (EOS) of hadronic matter using the Brueckner-Bethe-Goldstone formalism with realistic two-body and three-body forces, as well as a relativistic mean field model. For quark matter we employ the MIT bag model constraining the bag constant by using the indications coming from the recent experimental results obtained at the CERN SPS on the formation of a quark-gluon plasma. We find necessary to introduce a density dependent bag parameter, and the corresponding consistent thermodynamical formalism. We calculate the structure of NS interiors with the EOS comprising both phases, and we find that the NS maximum masses fall in a relatively narrow interval, 1.4 M ⊙ ≤ M max ≤ 1.7 M ⊙ . The precise value of the maximum mass turns out to be only weakly correlated with the value of the energy density at the assumed transition point in nearly symmetric nuclear matter.

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We derive a new equation of state (EoS) for neutron stars (NS) from the outer crust to the core based on modern microscopic calculations using the Argonne v 18 potential plus three-body forces computed with the Urbana model. To deal with the inhomogeneous structures of matter in the NS crust, we use a recent nuclear energy density functional that is directly based on the same microscopic calculations, and which is able to reproduce the ground-state properties of nuclei along the periodic table. The EoS of the outer crust requires the masses of neutron-rich nuclei, which are obtained through Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov calculations with the new functional when they are unknown experimentally. To compute the inner crust, Thomas-Fermi calculations in Wigner-Seitz cells are performed with the same functional. Existence of nuclear pasta is predicted in a range of average baryon densities between 0.067 fm −3 and 0.0825 fm −3 , where the transition to the core takes place. The NS core is computed from the new nuclear EoS assuming non-exotic constituents (core of npeμ matter). In each region of the star, we discuss the comparison of the new EoS with previous EoSs for the complete NS structure, widely used in astrophysical calculations. The new microscopically derived EoS fulfills at the same time a NS maximum mass of 2 M with a radius of 10 km, and a 1.5 M NS with a radius of 11.6 km.

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