In:
International Journal of Modern Physics D, World Scientific Pub Co Pte Ltd, Vol. 26, No. 02 ( 2017-02), p. 1730004-
Abstract:
We investigate the quark deconfinement phase transition in cold ([Formula: see text]) and hot [Formula: see text] -stable hadronic matter. Assuming a first-order phase transition, we calculate and compare the nucleation rate and the nucleation time due to quantum and thermal nucleation mechanisms. We show that above a threshold value of the central pressure a pure hadronic star (HS) (i.e. a compact star with no fraction of deconfined quark matter (QM)) is metastable to the conversion to a quark star (QS) (i.e. a hybrid star or a strange star). This process liberates a huge amount of energy, of the order of 10[Formula: see text] erg, which produces a powerful neutrino burst, likely accompanied by intense gravitational waves emission, and possibly by a second delayed (with respect to the supernova explosion forming the HS) explosion which could be the energy source of a powerful gamma-ray burst (GRB). This stellar conversion process populates the QS branch of compact stars, thus one has in the universe two coexisting families of compact stars: HSs and QSs. We introduce the concept of critical mass [Formula: see text] for cold HSs and proto-hadronic stars (PHSs), and the concept of limiting conversion temperature for PHSs. We show that PHSs with a mass [Formula: see text] could survive the early stages of their evolution without decaying to QSs. Finally, we discuss the possible evolutionary paths of PHSs.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0218-2718
,
1793-6594
DOI:
10.1142/S021827181730004X
Language:
English
Publisher:
World Scientific Pub Co Pte Ltd
Publication Date:
2017
SSG:
16,12
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