Neutron Stars as Fractal Dipole Liquids: A Unified Fractal Quantum Field Theory Approach

Abstract

Neutron stars represent one of the most extreme laboratories in the universe, where nuclear matter is compressed beyond terrestrial densities yet does not collapse into a black hole. In conventional astrophysics, neutron star stability is explained through nuclear degeneracy pressure and superfluid phases of neutrons. In this work, we propose a novel reinterpretation based on the Unified Fractal Quantum Field Theory (UFQFT). We argue that nucleons retain their fundamental structure under extreme gravitational confinement but undergo a collective phase transition into a “fractal dipole liquid.” In this state, neutrons form molecular-like bound configurations stabilized by their intrinsic dipole moments, preventing weak decay and producing a macroscopic “neutron sea.” Proton-to-neutron conversion via electron capture further enhances this stability while driving an effective cooling mechanism. Within this framework, neutron stars occupy a distinct phase space between ordinary nuclear matter and black hole cores, characterized by a fractal dimension D≈2.65–2.7. The transition from neutron star to black hole is interpreted as a shift from a multi-nucleon dipole-resonant liquid to a single-core fractal nucleon, achievable only through accretion or stellar mergers that increase mass beyond a critical threshold. We discuss observational implications for cooling curves, gravitational wave signatures, and high-energy transients, providing a pathway to distinguish neutron stars from low-mass black holes. This approach unifies nuclear stability, stellar evolution, and black hole formation under a single fractal field-theoretic paradigm.