The neutron star interior composition explorer (NICER): mission definition

Arzoumanian, Zaven; Gendreau, Keith C.; Baker, Charles Laurence; Cazeau, Thoniel; Hestnes, P.; Kellogg, James; Kenyon, Steven; Kozon, Robert P.; Liu, K.-C.; Manthripragada, Sridhar S.; Markwardt, C.; Mitchell, Alissa; Mitchell, J. W.; Monroe, Charles; Okajima, Takashi; Pollard, S.; Powers, Daniel F.; Savadkin, Bruce; Winternitz, Luke B.; Chen, P. T.; Wright, Michael; Foster, R.F.; Prigozhin, G.; Remillard, Ron; Doty, J.

doi:10.1117/12.2056811

Cited by 117 publications

(77 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…The X-ray spectra strongly depends on the distance to the source, its magnetic field and the composition of its atmosphere, hence making the measurement of the radius a rather difficult task. With space missions such as NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition ExploreR) [357] and the future eXTP (enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry) [24], high-precision X-ray astronomy, based on pulse-profile modeling X-ray spectral-timing event data, will offer precise measurements of masses and radii simultaneously. Indeed, the first precise measurement of the size and mass of the millisecond pulsar PSR J0030+0451 has been recently reported by the NICER collaboration, with a mass of M = 1.34 Figure adapted from [24].…”

Section: Observational Constraintsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Strangeness in nuclei and neutron stars

Tolós

Fabbietti

2020

Progress in Particle and Nuclear Physics

173

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We review the present status of the experimental and theoretical developments in the field of strangeness in nuclei and neutron stars. We start by discussing theKN interaction, that is governed by the presence of the Λ(1405). We continue by showing the two-pole nature of the Λ(1405), and the production mechanisms in photon-, pion-, kaon-induced reactions as well as proton-proton collisions, while discussing the formation ofKN N bound states. We then move to the theoretical and experimental analysis of the properties of kaons and antikaons in dense nuclear matter, paying a special attention to kaonic atoms and the analysis of strangeness creation and propagation in nuclear collisions. Next, we examine the φ meson and the advances in photoproduction, protoninduced and pion-induced reactions, so as to understand its properties in dense matter. Finally, we address the dynamics of hyperons with nucleons and nuclear matter, and the connection to the phases of dense matter with strangeness in the interior of neutron stars.

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Section: Observational Constraintsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Strangeness in nuclei and neutron stars

Tolós

Fabbietti

2020

Progress in Particle and Nuclear Physics

173

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“…Moreover, they encode information of the spacetime curvature around the star and thereby of the bulk properties of the star. One of the main goals of the ongoing Neutron star Interior Composition ExploreR (NICER) [15][16][17] mission, is to measure light curves from a number of sources with unprecedented time-resolution, constraining their masses and radii within 5−10% accuracy in optimal cases [18][19][20] (see also e.g. [21][22][23]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Finite size effects on the light curves of slowly-rotating neutron stars

2019

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An important question when studying the light curves produced by hot spots on the surface of rotating neutron stars is, how might the shape of the light curve be affected by relaxing some of the simplifying assumptions that one would adopt on a first treatment of the problem, such as that of a point-like spot. In this work we explore the dependence of light curves on the size and shape of a single hot spot on the surface of slowly-rotating neutron stars. More specifically, we consider two different shapes for the hot spots (circular and annular) and examine the resulting light curves as functions of the opening angle of the hot spot (for both) and width (for the latter). We find that the point-like approximation can describe light curves reasonably well, if the opening angle of the hot spot is less than ∼ 5 • . Furthermore, we find that light curves from annular spots are almost the same as those of the full circular spot if the opening angle is less than ∼ 35 • independently of the hot spot's width.

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“…Several observational programs for simultaneous measuring of pulsar masses and radii are currently in preparation: the Neutron star Interior Composition ExploreR (NICER, Arzoumanian et al 2014), the Square Kilometer Array (SKA, Watts et al 2015), Athena (Motch et al 2013), and possibly, a LOFT-size mission (Feroci et al 2012). Thus there is hope that in the near future it will be possible to reconstruct the cold NS matter EOS P(ε) (here P is pressure and ε is energy density) within the measurement errors from the measured M(R) relation by means of inverting the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff (TOV, Tolman 1939;Oppenheimer & Volkoff 1939) equations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consequences of a strong phase transition in the dense matter equation of state for the rotational evolution of neutron stars

Bejger

Blaschke

Haensel

et al. 2017

A&A

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Aims. We explore the implications of a strong first-order phase transition region in the dense matter equation of state in the interiors of rotating neutron stars, and the resulting creation of two disjoint families of neutron-star configurations (the so-called high-mass twins). Methods. We numerically obtained rotating, axisymmetric, and stationary stellar configurations in the framework of general relativity, and studied their global parameters and stability. Results. The instability induced by the equation of state divides stable neutron star configurations into two disjoint families: neutron stars (second family) and hybrid stars (third family), with an overlapping region in mass, the high-mass twin-star region. These two regions are divided by an instability strip. Its existence has interesting astrophysical consequences for rotating neutron stars. We note that it provides a natural explanation for the rotational frequency cutoff in the observed distribution of neutron star spins, and for the apparent lack of back-bending in pulsar timing. It also straightforwardly enables a substantial energy release in a mini-collapse to another neutron-star configuration (core quake), or to a black hole.

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The neutron star interior composition explorer (NICER): mission definition

Cited by 117 publications

References 3 publications

Strangeness in nuclei and neutron stars

Strangeness in nuclei and neutron stars

Finite size effects on the light curves of slowly-rotating neutron stars

Consequences of a strong phase transition in the dense matter equation of state for the rotational evolution of neutron stars

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