Kaon condensation in neutron star matter and nuclear three-body force effect

Within the framework of the Brueckner-Hartree-Fock approach, the effects of a microscopic nuclear three-body force on the critical density for kaon condensation in neutron star matter and on the composition of the kaon condensed phase have been investigated. The nuclear three-body force turns out to affect considerably both the critical density for kaon condensation and the composition of the kaon condensed phase in neutron stars via its strongly effect on the high-density behavior of nuclear symmetry energy. It is shown that inclusion of the three-body force contribution in the symmetry energy leads to a reduction of the critical density for kaon condensation and the three-body force effect on the critical density decreases as the proton strangeness content increases. The kaon condensed phase of neutron star matter turns out to be proton-rich instead of neutron-rich. The three-body force contribution results in a significant reduction of the proton and kaon fractions in the kaon condensed phase and makes the condensed neutron star matter to be more symmetric in neutrons and protons as compared with the results without including the three-body force. Our results are also compared with other theoretical predictions and discussed in connection with the possible implications for the study of neutron star structure.