Pion Condensation in Nuclear and Neutron Star Matter

Abstract

The equilibrium thermodynamic conditions obeyed by a pion condensed system are given. These include the statement that the average spatial currents of conserved quantities must always vanish in the state of lowest free energy, even for ${\pi }^{-}$ condensation into a running-wave mode. The physical significance of pion-condensation thresholds is also discussed.