Nuclear matter equation of state from a quark-model nucleon-nucleon interaction

Starting from a realistic constituent quark model for the nucleon-nucleon interaction, we derive the equation of state (EOS) of nuclear matter within the Bethe-Brueckner-Goldstone approach up to the three-hole-line level, without the need to introduce three-nucleon forces. To estimate the uncertainty of the calculations both the gap and the continuous choices for the single-particle potential are considered and compared. The resultant EOS is compatible with the phenomenological analysis of the saturation point, the incompressibility, the symmetry energy at a low density, and its slope at saturation, together with the high-density pressure extracted from flow data on heavy-ion collisions. Although the symmetry energy is appreciably higher in the gap choice in the high-density region, the maximum neutron star masses derived from the continuous-choice EOS and the gap-choice EOS are similar and close to two solar masses, which is again compatible with recent observational data. A comparison with other microscopic equations of state is presented and discussed.