Effects of Tensor Couplings on Nucleonic Direct URCA Processes in Neutron Star Matter

The relativistic neutrino emissivity of the nucleonic direct URCA processes in neutron star matter is investigated within the relativistic Hartree–Fock approximation. We particularly study the influences of the tensor couplings of vector mesons \omega and \rho on the nucleonic direct URCA processes. It is found that the inclusion of the tensor couplings of vector mesons \omega and \rho can slightly increase the maximum mass of neutron stars. In addition, the results indicate that the tensor couplings of vector mesons \omega and \rho lead to obvious enhancement of the total neutrino emissivity for the nucleonic direct URCA processes, which must accelerate the cooling rate of the non-superfluid neutron star matter. However, when considering only the tensor coupling of vector meson \rho, the neutrino emissivity for the nucleonic direct URCA processes slightly declines at low densities and significantly increases at high densities. That is, the tensor coupling of vector meson \rho leads to the slow cooling rate of a low-mass neutron star and rapid cooling rate of a massive neutron star.