Probing Realistic Neutron Star Equations of State via the Chameleon Mechanism

Abstract

We investigate the impact of the Chameleon mechanism on structural properties of neutron stars adopting realistic nucleonic equations of state. The scalar-matter coupling parameter $β$ controls the departure from the corresponding general-relativistic configurations, affecting both the maximum mass and the stellar radius. Our numerical results demonstrate that the chameleon mechanism can have a significant impact on the macroscopic properties of neutron stars, even when realistic equations of state are employed. Moreover, well established constraints on masses and radii of neutron stars put stringent limits on the allowed numerical values of the coupling.