Effect of magnetic fields on equatorial circular orbits in Kerr spacetimes

In this work we analyze the effects of an external magnetic field on charged particles on equatorial circular orbits in a Kerr spacetime, both in the black hole and the naked singularity cases. Understanding these phenomena is of great importance because equatorial circular orbits are a key ingredient of simple accretion disc models. We focus on two important magnetic field configurations: a) a uniform magnetic field aligned with the angular momentum and b) a dipolar magnetic field. We center our attention on the effect of these external fields on the marginally bounded and marginally stable equatorial circular orbits because they give information on observable quantities that could be useful to determine whether the central object is a black hole or a naked singularity. Using a perturbative approach we are able to give analytic results and compare (in the black hole case) with previous results.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in the proceedings of the Relativity and Gravitation, 100 Years after Einstein in Prague meeting held in Prague, Czech Republic during June 25 - 29, 201

Simplified Thermal Evolution of Proto-hybrid Stars

We study the possibility of a hadron-quark phase transition in the interior of neutron stars, taking into account different schematic evolutionary stages at finite temperature. Furthermore, we analyze the astrophysical properties of hot and cold hybrid stars, considering the constraint on maximum mass given by the pulsars J1614-2230 and J1614-2230. We obtain cold hybrid stars with maximum masses $\geq 2$ M$_{\odot}$. Our study also suggest that during the proto-hybrid star evolution a late phase transition between hadronic matter and quark matter could occur, in contrast with previous studies of proto-neutron stars.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, contribution to the Proceedings of the VII International Workshop on Astronomy and Relativistic Astrophysics - IWARA 201

Constant entropy hybrid stars: a first approximation of cooling evolution

We aim to study the possibility of a hadron-quark phase transition in the interior of neutron stars, taking into account different schematic evolutionary stages at finite temperature. We also discuss the strange quark matter stability in the quark matter phase. Furthermore, we aim to analyze the astrophysical properties of hot and cold hybrid stars, considering the constraint on maximum mass given by the pulsars J1614-2230 and J0348+0432. We have developed a computational code to construct semi-analytical hybrid equations of state at fixed entropy per baryon and to obtain different families of hybrid stars. An analytical approximation of the Field Correlator Method is developed for the quark matter equation of state. For the hadronic equation of state we use a table based on the relativistic mean field theory, without hyperons. We solved the relativistic structure equations of hydrostatic equilibrium and mass conservation for hybrid star configurations. For the different equations of state obtained, we calculated the stability window for the strange quark matter, lepton abundances, temperature profiles and contours profiles for the maximum mass star depending on the parameters of the Field Correlator Method. We also computed the mass-radius and gravitational mass-baryonic mass relationships for different hybrid star families. We have analyzed different stages of hot hybrid stars as a first approximation of the cooling evolution of neutron stars with quark matter cores. We obtain cold hybrid stars with maximum masses $\geq 2 M_\odot$ for different combinations of the Field Correlator Method parameters. In addition, our study based on the gravitational mass - baryonic mass plane shows a late phase transition between hadronic and quark matter during the proto-hybrid star evolution, in contrast with previous studies of proto-neutron stars.Comment: 12 pages, 14 figures, published in A&A 601, A21 (2017

Scalar Resonances in Axially Symmetric Spacetimes

We study properties of resonant solutions to the scalar wave equation in several axially symmetric spacetimes. We prove that non-axial resonant modes do not exist neither in the Lanczos dust cylinder, the $(2+1)$ extreme BTZ spacetime nor in a class of simple rotating wormhole solutions. Moreover, we find unstable solutions to the wave equation in the Lanczos dust cylinder and in the $r^2 <0$ region of the extreme $(2+1)$ BTZ spacetime, two solutions that possess closed timelike curves. Similarities with previous results obtained for the Kerr spacetime are explored.Comment: International Journal of Modern Physics D, in pres

On Inflation and Variation of the Strong Coupling Constant

Variation of constants in the very early universe can generate inflation. We consider a scenario where the strong coupling constant was changing in time and where the gluon condensate underwent a phase transition ending the inflation.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figure, accepted for publication in International Journal of Modern Physics