Eur. Phys. J. A (2010) 45: 169-177
https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2010-10986-x

Regular Article - Theoretical Physics

Kaon properties in (proto-)neutron star matter

¹ Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, New Delhi, 110 016, India
² Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, J.W. Goethe Universität, Ruth-Moufang-Str. 1, D-60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

^* e-mail: amruta@physics.iitd.ac.in

Received: 5 March 2010
Revised: 7 May 2010
Accepted: 10 May 2010
Published online: 23 June 2010

Abstract

The modification of kaon and antikaon properties in the interior of (proto-)neutron stars is investigated using a chiral SU(3) model. The parameters of the model are fitted to nuclear-matter saturation properties, baryon octet vacuum masses, hyperon optical potentials and low-energy kaon-nucleon scattering lengths. We study the kaon/antikaon medium modification and explore the possibility of antikaon condensation in (proto-)neutron star matter at zero as well as finite temperature/entropy and neutrino content. The effect of hyperons on kaon and antikaon optical potentials is also investigated at different stages of the neutron star evolution.