Quarkyonic Model for Neutron Star Matter: A Relativistic Mean-Field Approach

The concept of quarkyonic matter presents a promising alternative to the conventional models used to describe high-density matter and provides a more nuanced and detailed understanding of the properties of matter under extreme conditions that exist in astrophysical bodies. The aim of this study is to showcase the effectiveness of utilizing the quarkyonic model, in combination with the relativistic mean-field formalism, to parameterize the equation of state at high densities. Through this approach, we intend to investigate and gain insights into various fundamental properties of a static neutron star, such as its compositional ingredients, speed of sound, mass-radius profile, and tidal deformability. The obtained results revealed that the quarkyonic matter equation of state (EOS) is capable of producing a heavy neutron star with the mass range of $\sim$ $2.8 M_\odot$. The results of our inquiry have demonstrated that the EOS for quarkyonic matter not only yields a neutron star with a significantly high mass but also showcases a remarkable degree of coherence with the conformal limit of the speed of sound originating from deconfined QCD matter. Furthermore, we have observed that the tidal deformability of the neutron star, corresponding to the EOSs of quarkyonic matter, is in excellent agreement with the observational constraints derived from the GW170817 and GW190425 events. This finding implies that the quarkyonic model is capable of forecasting the behavior of neutron stars associated with binary merger systems. This aspect has been meticulously scrutinized in terms of merger time, gravitational wave signatures, and collapse times using numerical relativity simulations.