NJL-model description of Goldstone boson condensation in the color-flavor locked phase

A schematic NJL-type model is employed to investigate kaon and pion condensation in deconfined quark matter in the color-flavor locked (CFL) phase, explicitly referring to quark degrees of freedom. To that end we allow for non-vanishing pseudoscalar diquark condensates in addition to the scalar ones which constitute the CFL phase. Color neutrality is ensured by the appropriate choice of color chemical potentials. The dependence of the free energy in the Goldstone condensed phases on quark masses and charge chemical potentials is found to be in good qualitative -- in most cases also quantitative -- agreement with the predictions obtained within the effective Lagrangian approach.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures; v2: slightly extended discussion of interaction effects including a new curve in Fig.2, to appear in PL

NJL model of homogeneous neutral quark matter: Pseudoscalar diquark condensates revisited

We use a Nambu-Jona Lasinio type model to investigate the phase diagram of dense quark matter under neutron star conditions in mean field approximation. The model contains selfconsistently determined quark masses and allows for diquark condensation in the scalar as well as in the pseudoscalar channel. The latter gives rise to the possibility of K^0 condensation in the CFL phase. In agreement with earlier studies we find that this CFLK^0 phase covers large regions of the phase diagram and that the predominant part of this phase is fully gapped. We show, however, that there exists a region at very low temperatures where the CFLK^0 solutions become gapless, possibly indicating an instability towards anisotropic or inhomogeneous phases. The physical significance of solutions with pseudoscalar diquark condensates in the 2SC phase is discussed as well.Comment: 16 pages, 12 figures; v2: minor modifications, version accepted for publication in PR

Color-Flavor (Un)locking

The structure of the phase diagram of strongly interacting matter at moderate densities is calculated within a 3-flavor NJL-type quark model with realistic quark masses. We focus on the influence of the selfconsistently determined effective strange quark mass on the color-flavor unlocking phase transition.Comment: To appear in the proceedings of the workshop "Ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions", Hirschegg 2002, 6 page

Mixed phases of color superconducting quark matter

We examine electrically and color neutral quark matter in beta-equilibrium focusing on the possibility of mixed phases between different color superconducting phases. To that end we apply the Gibbs criterion to ensure phase equilibrium and discuss the external conditions under which these mixed phases can occur. Neglecting surface and Coulomb effects we find a rich structure of different mixed phases with up to four components, including 2SC and CFL matter as well as more ``exotic'' components, like a phase with us- and ds-pairing but without ud-pairing. Preliminary estimates indicate, however, that the mixed phases become unstable if surface and Coulomb effects are included.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figures, v2: minor changes in the text, version to appear in Nucl. Phys.

Role of two-flavor color superconductor pairing in a three-flavor Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model with axial anomaly

The phase diagram of strongly interacting matter is studied within a three-flavor Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model, which contains the coupling between chiral and diquark condensates through the axial anomaly. Our results show that it is essential to include the 2SC phase in the analysis. While this is expected for realistic strange quark masses, we find that even for equal up, down, and strange bare quark masses, 2SC pairing can be favored due to spontaneous flavor-symmetry breaking by the axial anomaly. This can lead to a rich phase structure, including BCS- and BEC-like 2SC and CFL phases and new endpoints. On the other hand, the low-temperature critical endpoint, which was found earlier in the same model without 2SC pairing, is almost removed from the phase diagram and cannot be reached from the low-density chirally broken phase without crossing a preceding first-order phase boundary. For physical quark masses no additional critical endpoint is found.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures, added appendix clarifying the relation to Ginzburg-Landau results, to appear in PR

Inhomogeneous chiral symmetry breaking in dense neutron-star matter

An increasing number of model results suggests that chiral symmetry is broken inhomogeneously in a certain window at intermediate densities in the QCD phase diagram. This could have significant effects on the properties of compact stars, possibly leading to new astrophysical signatures. In this contribution we discuss this idea by reviewing recent results on inhomogeneous chiral symmetry breaking under an astrophysics-oriented perspective. After introducing two commonly studied spatial modulations of the chiral condensate, the chiral density wave and the real kink crystal, we focus on their properties and their effect on the equation of state of quark matter. We also describe how these crystalline phases are affected by different elements which are required for a realistic description of a compact star, such as charge neutrality, the presence of magnetic fields, vector interactions and the interplay with color-superconductivity. Finally, we discuss possible signatures of inhomogeneous chiral symmetry breaking in the core of compact stars, considering the cases of mass-radius relations and neutrino emissivity explicitly.Comment: Invited contribution to the EPJA Topical Issue "Exotic Matter in Neutron Stars". v2: extended discussion on strange quarks, updated mass-radius section, other small changes; matches published version. 16 pages, 14 figure