Researchers Koichi Saito, Tsuyoshi Miyatsu, and Myung-Ki Cheoun, affiliated with various institutions including the University of Tokyo and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, have recently published a study that could have significant implications for our understanding of nuclear matter and, by extension, the energy industry. Their work, titled “A Quarkyonic Quark-Meson Coupling Model for Nuclear and Neutron Matter,” was published in the journal Physical Review C.
The researchers have developed a novel nuclear model that combines the dual quarkyonic model with the quark-meson coupling (QMC) model. This new model, dubbed the quarkyonic quark-meson coupling (QQMC) model, is based on quark degrees of freedom and can cover a wide range of nuclear densities, from low density to the crossover region. The model uses a relativistic, Gaussian quark wavefunction to describe the nucleon structure.
Initially, the researchers evaluated physical quantities such as energy density, chemical potential, pressure, and sound velocity within the ideal Fermi gas picture. However, they found that these quantities were discontinuous or divergent at the quark saturation density, where the quarkyonic phase emerges. To address this issue, they introduced an infrared regulator and combined the dual quarkyonic model with the QMC model to include nuclear interactions.
One of the key findings of their study is that the quark saturation density depends strongly on the nucleon size. For instance, when the root-mean-square radius of a proton is 0.6 (0.8) femtometers, the quark saturation density is about 3.6 (1.5) times the nuclear saturation density in symmetric nuclear matter. This highlights the importance of considering nuclear interactions when evaluating physical quantities.
The QQMC model has been shown to produce a sound velocity consistent with that inferred from observed data of several neutron stars. Furthermore, the pressure in symmetric or pure neutron matter deduced from experiments of heavy-ion collisions at high energy can also be explained by the QQMC model. These findings suggest that the model could be a valuable tool for understanding the behavior of nuclear matter under extreme conditions.
For the energy industry, this research could have practical applications in the development of advanced nuclear technologies. A better understanding of nuclear matter could lead to improvements in nuclear reactors, nuclear waste management, and even nuclear fusion research. Additionally, the insights gained from this study could contribute to the development of more accurate models for predicting the behavior of neutron stars, which could have implications for astrophysics and cosmology.
In conclusion, the QQMC model developed by Saito, Miyatsu, and Cheoun represents a significant advancement in our understanding of nuclear matter. Its potential applications in the energy industry and beyond make it a promising area for future research. The study was published in Physical Review C, a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to publishing significant work in the field of nuclear physics.
This article is based on research available at arXiv.