Cooling of Hybrid Stars with Spin Down Compression

We study the cooling of hybrid stars coupling with spin-down. Due to the spin-down of hybrid stars, the interior density continuously increases, different neutrino reactions may be triggered(from the modified Urca process to the quark and nucleon direct Urca process) at different stages of evolution. We calculate the rate of neutrino emissivity of different reactions and simulate the cooling curves of the rotational hybrid stars. The results show the cooling curves of hybrid stars clearly depend on magnetic field if the direct urca reactions occur during the spin-down. Comparing the results of the rotational star model with the transitional static model, we find the cooling behavior of rotational model is more complicated, the temperature of star is higher, especially when direct urca reactions appear in process of rotation. And then we find that the predicted temperatures of some rotating hybrid stars are compatible with the pulsar's data which are contradiction with the results of transitional method.Comment: 8 pages, 5figures, accepted by RA

Gaps below strange star crusts

The gap caused by a strong electric field between the quark surface and nuclear crust of a strange star is studied in an improved model including gravity and pressure as well as electrostatic forces. The transition from gap to crust is followed in detail. The properties of the gap are investigated for a wide range of parameters assuming both color-flavor locked and non color-flavor locked strange star cores. The maximally allowed crust density is generally lower than that of neutron drip. Finite temperature is shown to increase the gap width, but the effect is significant only at extreme temperatures. Analytical approximations are derived and shown to provide useful fits to the numerical results.Comment: 12 pages incl. 14 figures. To appear in Physical Review

The effect of deconfinement phase transition on rotochemical deviations in stars containing mixed phase matter

As a neutron star spins down, its core density increase, changing the relative equilibrium concentration, and causing deconfinement phase transition as well. hadron matter are converted into quark matter in the interior, which enhances the deviation of chemical equilibrium state. We study such deviations and its chemical energy release.Applying to the simulation of cooling neutron stars, we find the surface effective temperature of neutron stars is promoted obviously. This implies that the deconfinement phase transition is able to raise the chemical heating efficiency

Plasma polarization in high gravity astrophysical objects

Macroscopic plasma polarization, which is created by gravitation and other mass-acting (inertial) forces in massive astrophysical objects is under discussion. Non-ideality effect due to strong Coulomb interaction of charged particles is introduced into consideration as a new source of such polarization. Simplified situation of totally equilibrium isothermal star without relativistic effects and influence of magnetic field is considered. The study is based on variational approach combined with "local density approximation". It leads to two local forms of thermodynamic equilibrium conditions: constancy for generalized (electro)chemical potentials and/or conditions of equilibrium for the forces acting on each charged specie. New "non-ideality potential" and "non-ideality force" appear naturally in this consideration. Hypothetical sequences of gravitational, inertial and non-ideality polarization on thermo- and hydrodynamics of massive astrophysical objects are under discussion.Comment: 6 pages, no figures, 35 refs, Int. Conference "Physics of Non-Ideal Plasmas" (PNP-13), Chernogolovka, September 2009, Russi

Signature of deconfinement with spin down compression in cooling hybrid stars

The thermal evolution of neutron stars is coupled to their spin down and the resulting changes in structure and chemical composition. This coupling correlates stellar surface temperatures with rotational state as well as time. We report an extensive investigation of the coupling between spin down and cooling for hybrid stars which undergo a phase transition to deconfined quark matter at the high densities present in stars at low rotation frequencies. The thermal balance of neutron stars is re-analyzed to incorporate phase transitions and the related latent heat self-consistently, and numerical calculations are undertaken to simultaneously evolve the stellar structure and temperature distribution. We find that the changes in stellar structure and chemical composition with the introduction of a pure quark matter phase in the core delay the cooling and produce a period of increasing surface temperature for strongly superfluid stars of strong and intermediate magnetic field strength. The latent heat of deconfinement is found to reinforce this signature if quark matter is superfluid and it can dominate the thermal balance during the formation of a pure quark matter core. At other times it is less important and does not significantly change the thermal evolution.Comment: 30 pages, 13 figures. Updated to match the version published in Ap

Improved Collective Thomson Scattering measurements of fast ions at ASDEX Upgrade

Understanding the behaviour of the confined fast ions is important in both current and future fusion experiments. These ions play a key role in heating the plasma and will be crucial for achieving conditions for burning plasma in next-step fusion devices. Microwave-based Collective Thomson Scattering (CTS) is well suited for reactor conditions and offers such an opportunity by providing measurements of the confined fast-ion distribution function resolved in space, time and 1D velocity space. We currently operate a CTS system at ASDEX Upgrade using a gyrotron which generates probing radiation at 105 GHz. A new setup using two independent receiver systems has enabled improved subtraction of the background signal, and hence the first accurate characterization of fast-ion properties. Here we review this new dual-receiver CTS setup and present results on fast-ion measurements based on the improved background characterization. These results have been obtained both with and without NBI heating, and with the measurement volume located close to the centre of the plasma. The measurements agree quantitatively with predictions of numerical simulations. Hence, CTS studies of fast-ion dynamics at ASDEX Upgrade are now feasible. The new background subtraction technique could be important for the design of CTS systems in other fusion experiments.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Proc. of "Fusion Reactor Diagnostics", eds. F. P. Orsitto et al., AIP Conf. Pro