Neutron stars in the presence of scalar fields

Abstract

Scalar-tensor theory (STT) is one of the alternative theories of gravitation to Einstein's general relativity, which in addition to the metric tensor, includes a non-trivially added scalar field. This can be done through what is called a non-minimal coupling term found in the Lagrangian. We have investigated the effects of a scalar field and its coupling on neutron star structure, particularly the neutron star radius and its maximum mass, using STT. Different equations of state for the neutron star were considered in this work. In this thesis I give a review of STT and the relevant literature, and then a presentation of the work's results. Conclusions are drawn and future work is proposed.