Parity-Doubled Nucleons Can Rapidly Cool Neutron Stars
In confined hadronic matter, the spontaneous breaking and restoration of chiral symmetry can be described by considering nucleons, 𝑁 + (939), and excited states of opposite parity, 𝑁 − (1535). In a cold, dense hadronic phase where chiral symmetry remains spontaneously broken, direct Urca decay processes involving the 𝑁 − are possible, e.g., 𝑁 − → 𝑁 + + 𝑒 − + $\bar{𝜈}_𝑒$. Here, we show that at low temperature and moderate densities, because the 𝑁 − are much heavier than the 𝑁 + , such cooling dominates over standard 𝑁 + direct Urca processes. This provides a strong astrophysical signature of the pattern of chiral symmetry restoration in neutron stars.