Resonant production of gamma rays in jolted cold neutron stars

Abstract

Acoustic shock waves passing through colliding cold neutron stars can cause repetitive superconducting phase transitions in which the proton condensate relaxes to its equilibrium value via coherent oscillations. As a result, a resonant non-thermal production of gamma rays in the MeV energy range with power up to 10^(52) erg/s can take place during the short period of time before the nuclear matter is heated by the shock waves.