RT Journal Article T1 Maximum latent heat of neutron star matter independent of general relativity A1 Lope Oter, Eva A1 Llanes Estrada, Felipe José AB We establish bounds on the maximum possible specific latent heat of cold neutron-star matter derived from hadron physics alone. Existing chiral perturbation theory computations for the equation of state, together with perturbative quantum chromodynamics (QCD), relevant at highest densities (even if they would turn out not to be physically realizable) bind the maximum latent heat which is possible in actual neutron stars. Because these are already near gravitational collapse in general relativity, no denser form of cold matter can exist: thus, the bounds are a generic physical limit. Even in scenarios that modify the theory of gravity, the existence of a family of latent-heat maxima is relevant to diagnose progress in the knowledge of the equation of state of neutron matter, by quantifying the maximum possible (presumed) phase transition that its error bands would allow. Thus, latent heat is a natural benchmark for the equation of state in cold QCD. PB Amer Physical Soc SN 2469-9985 YR 2022 FD 2022 LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/71685 UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/71685 LA eng NO ©2022 American Physical SocietySupported by Grants No. MICINN: PID2019-108655GB-I00 and No. PID2019-106080GB-C21 (Spain); the COST action CA16214 (Multimessenger Physics and Astrophysics of Neutron Stars); Universidad Complutense de Madrid under research Group No. 910309 and the IPARCOS institute. NO Unión Europea. Horizonte 2020 NO Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN) NO Universidad Complutense de Madrid DS Docta Complutense RD 6 abr 2025