Universal Charge-Radius Relation for Subatomic and Astrophysical Compact Objects

Apr, 2008
4 pages
Published in:
  • Phys.Rev.Lett. 100 (2008) 151102
e-Print:

Citations per year

20072011201520192022012345
Abstract: (arXiv)
Electron-positron pair creation in supercritical electric fields limits the net charge of any static, spherical object, such as superheavy nuclei, strangelets, and Q-balls, or compact stars like neutron stars, quark stars, and black holes. For radii between 4×1024\times10^2 fm and 10410^4 fm the upper bound on the net charge is given by the universal relation Z=0.71RfmZ=0.71R_{fm}, and for larger radii (measured in fm or km) Z=7×105Rfm2=7×1031Rkm2Z = 7 \times 10^{-5} R_{fm}^2 = 7 \times 10^{31} R_{km}^2. For objects with nuclear density the relation corresponds to Z0.7A1/3Z \approx 0.7 A^{1/3} (108<A<101210^{8} < A < 10^{12}) and Z7×105A2/3Z \approx 7\times10^{-5} A^{2/3} (A>1012A > 10^{12}), where AA is the baryon number. For some systems this universal upper bound improves existing charge limits in the literature.
  • 04.70.-s
  • 97.60.Jd
  • 21.65.Qr
  • 21.65.Mn
  • neutron star
  • black hole
  • quark: star
  • Q-ball
  • nucleus: heavy
  • electron: pair production