Dense Stellar Matter and Structure of Neutron Stars

Abstract

After giving an overview of the history and idea of neutron stars, I shall introduce, in part one of my lectures, a representative collection of models for the equation of state of superdense neutron star matter, which account for various physical possibilities concerning the unknown behavior of such matter. Part two of my lectures deal with the construction of models of static as well as rapidly rotating neutron stars, and an investigation of the cooling behavior of such objects. Both is performed in the framework of Einstein's theory of general relativity. For this purpose the broad collection of models for the equation of state, derived in part one, will be used as an input. Various computed neutron star properties (e.g., masses, radii, moments of inertia, red and blueshifts, limiting rotational periods, cooling behavior) will be compared with the body of observed pulsar data. Finally, part three deals with an investigation of the properties of stars made up of absolutely stable strange quark matter. Their properties are compared with those of their nonstrange counterparts, i.e., neutron stars.