43 research outputs found
Strange quark matter in explosive astrophysical systems
Explosive astrophysical systems, such as supernovae or compact star binary
mergers, provide conditions where strange quark matter can appear. The high
degree of isospin asymmetry and temperatures of several MeV in such systems may
cause a transition to the quark phase already around saturation density.
Observable signals from the appearance of quark matter can be predicted and
studied in astrophysical simulations. As input in such simulations, an equation
of state with an integrated quark matter phase transition for a large
temperature, density and proton fraction range is required. Additionally,
restrictions from heavy ion data and pulsar observation must be considered. In
this work we present such an approach. We implement a quark matter phase
transition in a hadronic equation of state widely used for astrophysical
simulations and discuss its compatibility with heavy ion collisions and pulsar
data. Furthermore, we review the recently studied implications of the QCD phase
transition during the early post-bounce evolution of core-collapse supernovae
and introduce the effects from strong interactions to increase the maximum mass
of hybrid stars. In the MIT bag model, together with the strange quark mass and
the bag constant, the strong coupling constant provides a parameter
to set the beginning and extension of the quark phase and with this the mass
and radius of hybrid stars.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, talk given at the International Conference on
Strangeness in Quark Matter (SQM2009), Buzios, Brasil, September 28 - October
2, 2009, to be published in Journal Phys.
The Strange Prospects for Astrophysics
The implications of the formation of strange quark matter in neutron stars
and in core-collapse supernovae is discussed with special emphasis on the
possibility of having a strong first order QCD phase transition at high baryon
densities. If strange quark matter is formed in core-collapse supernovae
shortly after the bounce, it causes the launch of a second outgoing shock which
is energetic enough to lead to a explosion. A signal for the formation of
strange quark matter can be read off from the neutrino spectrum, as a second
peak in antineutrinos is released when the second shock runs over the
neutrinosphere.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, invited talk given at the international
conference on strangeness in quark matter (SQM2008), Beijing, October 6-10,
Beijing, China, version to appear in J. Phys.
Core collapse supernovae in the QCD phase diagram
We compare two classes of hybrid equations of state with a hadron-to-quark
matter phase transition in their application to core collapse supernova
simulations. The first one uses the quark bag model and describes the
transition to three-flavor quark matter at low critical densities. The second
one employs a Polyakov-loop extended Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (PNJL) model with
parameters describing a phase transition to two-flavor quark matter at higher
critical densities. These models possess a distinctly different temperature
dependence of their transition densities which turns out to be crucial for the
possible appearance of quark matter in supernova cores. During the early post
bounce accretion phase quark matter is found only if the phase transition takes
place at sufficiently low densities as in the study based on the bag model. The
increase critical density with increasing temperature, as obtained for our PNJL
parametrization, prevents the formation of quark matter. The further evolution
of the core collapse supernova as obtained applying the quark bag model leads
to a structural reconfiguration of the central proto-neutron star where, in
addition to a massive pure quark matter core, a strong hydrodynamic shock wave
forms and a second neutrino burst is released during the shock propagation
across the neutrinospheres. We discuss the severe constraints in the freedom of
choice of quark matter models and their parametrization due to the recently
observed 2 solar mass pulsar and their implications for further studies of core
collapse supernovae in the QCD phase diagram.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figures, CPOD2010 conference proceedin
SQM 2006: Theory Summary and Perspectives
In this write-up of my SQM 2006 Theory Summary talk I focus on a selection of
key contributions which I consider to have a large impact on the current status
of the field of strangeness physics or which may have the potential to
significantly advance strangeness -- or in general flavor physics -- in the
near future.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures, SQM 2006 proceedings. Revised version containing
two modifications to the transport theory sectio
Nuclear matter at high density: Phase transitions, multiquark states, and supernova outbursts
Phase transition from hadronic matter to quark-gluon matter is discussed for
various regimes of temperature and baryon number density. For small and medium
densities, the phase transition is accurately described in the framework of the
Field Correlation Method, whereas at high density predictions are less certain
and leave room for the phenomenological models. We study formation of
multiquark states (MQS) at zero temperature and high density. Relevant MQS
components of the nuclear matter can be described using a previously developed
formalism of the quark compound bags (QCB).
Partial-wave analysis of nucleon-nucleon scattering indicates the existence
of 6QS which manifest themselves as poles of -matrix. In the framework of
the QCB model, we formulate a self-consistent system of coupled equations for
the nucleon and 6QS propagators in nuclear matter and the G-matrix. The
approach provides a link between high-density nuclear matter with the MQS
components and the cumulative effect observed in reactions on the nuclei, which
requires the admixture of MQS in the wave functions of nuclei kinematically.
6QS determine the natural scale of the density for a possible phase
transition into the MQS phase of nuclear matter. Such a phase transition can
lead to dynamic instability of newly born protoneutron stars and dramatically
affect the dynamics of supernovae. Numerical simulations show that the phase
transition may be a good remedy for the triggering supernova explosions in the
spherically symmetric supernova models. A specific signature of the phase
transition is an additional neutrino peak in the neutrino light curve. For a
Galactic core-collapse supernova, such a peak could be resolved by the present
neutrino detectors. The possibility of extracting the parameters of the phase
of transition from observation of the neutrino signal is discussed also.Comment: 57 pages, 22 figures, 7 tables; RevTeX 4; submitted to Phys. Atom.
Nuc
QCD and strongly coupled gauge theories : challenges and perspectives
We highlight the progress, current status, and open challenges of QCD-driven physics, in theory and in experiment. We discuss how the strong interaction is intimately connected to a broad sweep of physical problems, in settings ranging from astrophysics and cosmology to strongly coupled, complex systems in particle and condensed-matter physics, as well as to searches for physics beyond the Standard Model. We also discuss how success in describing the strong interaction impacts other fields, and, in turn, how such subjects can impact studies of the strong interaction. In the course of the work we offer a perspective on the many research streams which flow into and out of QCD, as well as a vision for future developments.Peer reviewe