We explore some properties of dense matter in Skyrme's chiral soliton model and show that at high densities the energy density varies as $n^{\frac{4}{3}}$, where $n$ is the baryon density. This is quite different from the behavior of conventional nuclear models, but is very similar to that of quark matter. The maximum mass of neutron stars constructed of such matter is significantly lower than that for most other versions of dense matter and may account for the absence of neutron stars in many extended supernova remnants. The phase transition to quark matter is expected to be softened considerably by such a nuclear-matter model.

• Received 25 May 1984

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.53.1041