QUARK MATTER STRUCTURE IN NEUTRON STARS

Abstract

For physically reasonable bulk and surface properties, quark matter has recently been found to coexist with nuclear matter inside neutron stars in a uniform background of electrons. The microstructure of this mixed phase starts out with a few quark matter droplets embedded in the nuclear matter but as the density of droplets increase towards the center of the neutron star they merge into rods, plates and other structures. The topology, size as well as Coulomb and surface energies of these structures depend sensitively on the quark/nuclear matter interface tension. A major fraction of the interior of neutron stars could consist of matter in this new phase, which would provide new mechanisms for glitches, cooling and supernovae.