Hyperons and neutron stars

Abstract

In this work we briefly review some of the effects of hyperons on neutron and proto-neutron star properties. We revise the problem of the strong softening of the EoS, and the consequent reduction of the maximum mass, due to the presence of hyperons, a puzzle which has become more intriguing due the recent measurements of the unusually high masses of the millisecond pulsars PSR J1614-2230 (1.97 ± 0.04M ⊙) and PSR J1903+0327 (1.667 ± 0.021M ⊙). We examine also the role of hyperons on the cooling properties of newly born neutron stars and on the so-called r-mode instability. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.