Phase Transition to Hyperon Matter in Neutron Stars

Abstract

Recent progress in the understanding of the high density phase of neutron stars advances the view that a substantial fraction of the matter consists of hyperons. The possible impacts of a highly attractive interaction between hyperons on the properties of compact stars are investigated. We find that a hadronic equation of state with hyperons allows for a first order phase transition to hyperonic matter. The corresponding hyperon stars can have rather small radii of R=8 km.

Comments: 4 pages, 4 figures, figures modified, text updated and rewritten, final version, Phys. Rev. Lett. in press