2019/08/21 by Antoine Tilloy, Thomas M. Stace · 1 voice
Physics and Astronomy · #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
paper · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.123.080402
openalex publication_date 2019/08/21 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Spontaneous wave-function collapse models, like continuous spontaneous localization, are designed to suppress macroscopic superpositions while preserving microscopic quantum phenomena. An observable consequence of collapse models is spontaneous heating of massive objects. We calculate the collapse-induced heating rate of astrophysical objects, and the corresponding equilibrium temperature. We apply these results to neutron stars, the densest phase of baryonic matter in the Universe. Stronger collapse model parameters imply greater heating, allowing us to derive competitive bounds on model parameters using neutron star observational data, and to propose speculative bounds based on the capabilities of current and future astronomical surveys.