A new density dependent effective baryon-baryon interaction has been recently derived from the quark-meson-coupling ( QMC ) model , offering impressive results in application to finite nuclei and dense baryon matter .
This self-consistent , relativistic quark-level approach is used to construct the Equation of State ( EoS ) and to calculate key properties of high density matter and cold , slowly rotating neutron stars .
The results include predictions for the maximum mass of neutron star models , together with the corresponding radius and central density , as well the properties of neutron stars with mass of order 1.4 M _ { \odot } .
The cooling mechanism allowed by the QMC EoS is explored and the parameters relevant to slow rotation , namely the moment of inertia and the period of rotation investigated .
The results of the calculation , which are found to be in good agreement with available observational data , are compared with the predictions of more traditional EoS , based on the A18+ \delta v+UIX ^ { * } and modified Reid soft core potentials , the Skyrme SkM ^ { * } interaction and a relativistic mean field ( RMF ) models for a hybrid stars including quark matter .
The QMC EoS provides cold neutron star models with maximum mass 1.9–2.1 M _ { \odot } , with central density less than 6 times nuclear saturation density ( n _ { 0 } = 0.16 { fm } ^ { -3 } ) and offers a consistent description of the stellar mass up to this density limit .
In contrast with other models , QMC predicts no hyperon contribution at densities lower than 3 n _ { 0 } , for matter in \beta -equilibrium .
At higher densities , \Xi ^ { - , 0 } and \Lambda hyperons are present .
The absence of lighter \Sigma ^ { \pm, 0 } hyperons is understood as a consequence of antisymmetrisation , together with the implementation of the color hyperfine interaction in the response of the quark bag to the nuclear scalar field .