Impact of Multiple Phase Transitions in Dense QCD on Compact Stars
This review covers several recent developments in the physics of dense QCD with an emphasis on the impact of multiple phase transitions on astrophysical manifestations of compact stars. To motivate the multi-phase modeling of dense QCD and delineate the perspectives, we start with a discussion of th...
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MDPI AG
2023-07-01
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| author | Armen Sedrakian |
| author_facet | Armen Sedrakian |
| author_sort | Armen Sedrakian |
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| description | This review covers several recent developments in the physics of dense QCD with an emphasis on the impact of multiple phase transitions on astrophysical manifestations of compact stars. To motivate the multi-phase modeling of dense QCD and delineate the perspectives, we start with a discussion of the structure of its phase diagram and the arrangement of possible color-superconducting and other phases. It is conjectured that pair-correlated quark matter in <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mi>β</mi></semantics></math></inline-formula>-equilibrium is within the same universality class as spin-imbalanced cold atoms and the isospin asymmetrical nucleonic matter. This then implies the emergence of phases with broken space symmetries and tri-critical (Lifshitz) points. The beyond-mean-field structure of the quark propagator and its non-trivial implications are discussed in the cases of two- and three-flavor quark matter within the Eliashberg theory, which takes into account the frequency dependence (retardation) of the gap function. We then construct an equation of state (EoS) that extends the two-phase EoS of dense quark matter within the constant speed of sound parameterization by adding a conformal fluid with a speed of sound <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>c</mi><mrow><mi>conf</mi><mo>.</mo></mrow></msub><mo>=</mo><mn>1</mn><mo>/</mo><msqrt><mn>3</mn></msqrt></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> at densities <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mo>≥</mo><mn>10</mn><mspace width="3.33333pt"></mspace><msub><mi>n</mi><mi>sat</mi></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>, where <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msub><mi>n</mi><mi>sat</mi></msub></semantics></math></inline-formula> is the saturation density. With this input, we construct static, spherically symmetrical compact hybrid stars in the mass–radius diagram, recover such features as the twins and triplets, and show that the transition to conformal fluid leads to the spiraling-in of the tracks in this diagram. Stars on the spirals are classically unstable with respect to the radial oscillations but can be stabilized if the conversion timescale between quark and nucleonic phases at their interface is larger than the oscillation period. Finally, we review the impact of a transition from high-temperature gapped to low-temperature gapless two-flavor phase on the thermal evolution of hybrid stars. |
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| spelling | doaj.art-f0bcdf5083044a7d9f8affaf24f636692023-11-19T12:21:23ZengMDPI AGParticles2571-712X2023-07-016371373010.3390/particles6030044Impact of Multiple Phase Transitions in Dense QCD on Compact StarsArmen Sedrakian0Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, GermanyThis review covers several recent developments in the physics of dense QCD with an emphasis on the impact of multiple phase transitions on astrophysical manifestations of compact stars. To motivate the multi-phase modeling of dense QCD and delineate the perspectives, we start with a discussion of the structure of its phase diagram and the arrangement of possible color-superconducting and other phases. It is conjectured that pair-correlated quark matter in <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mi>β</mi></semantics></math></inline-formula>-equilibrium is within the same universality class as spin-imbalanced cold atoms and the isospin asymmetrical nucleonic matter. This then implies the emergence of phases with broken space symmetries and tri-critical (Lifshitz) points. The beyond-mean-field structure of the quark propagator and its non-trivial implications are discussed in the cases of two- and three-flavor quark matter within the Eliashberg theory, which takes into account the frequency dependence (retardation) of the gap function. We then construct an equation of state (EoS) that extends the two-phase EoS of dense quark matter within the constant speed of sound parameterization by adding a conformal fluid with a speed of sound <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>c</mi><mrow><mi>conf</mi><mo>.</mo></mrow></msub><mo>=</mo><mn>1</mn><mo>/</mo><msqrt><mn>3</mn></msqrt></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> at densities <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mo>≥</mo><mn>10</mn><mspace width="3.33333pt"></mspace><msub><mi>n</mi><mi>sat</mi></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>, where <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msub><mi>n</mi><mi>sat</mi></msub></semantics></math></inline-formula> is the saturation density. With this input, we construct static, spherically symmetrical compact hybrid stars in the mass–radius diagram, recover such features as the twins and triplets, and show that the transition to conformal fluid leads to the spiraling-in of the tracks in this diagram. Stars on the spirals are classically unstable with respect to the radial oscillations but can be stabilized if the conversion timescale between quark and nucleonic phases at their interface is larger than the oscillation period. Finally, we review the impact of a transition from high-temperature gapped to low-temperature gapless two-flavor phase on the thermal evolution of hybrid stars.https://www.mdpi.com/2571-712X/6/3/44QCD matterphase diagramcompact stars |
| spellingShingle | Armen Sedrakian Impact of Multiple Phase Transitions in Dense QCD on Compact Stars Particles QCD matter phase diagram compact stars |
| title | Impact of Multiple Phase Transitions in Dense QCD on Compact Stars |
| title_full | Impact of Multiple Phase Transitions in Dense QCD on Compact Stars |
| title_fullStr | Impact of Multiple Phase Transitions in Dense QCD on Compact Stars |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of Multiple Phase Transitions in Dense QCD on Compact Stars |
| title_short | Impact of Multiple Phase Transitions in Dense QCD on Compact Stars |
| title_sort | impact of multiple phase transitions in dense qcd on compact stars |
| topic | QCD matter phase diagram compact stars |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2571-712X/6/3/44 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT armensedrakian impactofmultiplephasetransitionsindenseqcdoncompactstars |