Neutron Stars and Nuclei in the Modified Relativistic Hartree Approximation

Abstract

We have examined the properties of neutron-rich matter and finite nuclei in the modified relativistic Hartree approximation for several values of the renormalization scale, $μ$, around the standard choice of $μ$ equal to the nucleon mass $M$. Observed neutron star masses do not effectively constrain the value of $μ$. However for finite nuclei the value $μ/M=0.79$, suggested by nuclear matter data, provides a good account of the bulk properties with a sigma mass of about 600 MeV. This value of $μ/M$ renders the effective three and four body scalar self-couplings to be zero at 60\% of equilibrium nuclear matter density, rather than in the vacuum. We have also found that the matter part of the exchange diagram has little impact on the bulk properties of neutron stars.