Dynamics of the formation of a quark superconducting phase in neutron stars

• Grant number: 03/06548-6
• Support type: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Effective date (Start): October 21, 2003
• Effective date (End): December 20, 2003
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Astronomy - Stellar Astrophysics
• Principal researcher: Germán Lugones
• Grantee: Germán Lugones
• Host: Ignazio Bombaci
• Home Institution: Pessoa Física
• Research place: Università di Pisa, Italy

Abstract

We propose to investigate the physical processes occurring during the transition from nuclear matter to quark superconducting matter in the course of formation of neutron stars and the observational signatures expected from this transition. Typical conditions of proto-neutron star birth, such as finite nuclear strangeness, finite temperature and neutrino trapping are to be included self-consistently in the analysis. Pairing will be included in the equations of state and in the nucleation rate of the quark bubbles. We shall also consider the possible formation of an intermediary two flavor superconducting phase, the production of strangeness in the deconfined phase, and the temperature dependence of the pairing gap. We shall investigate the impact of these processes for supernovae, gamma ray bursters, and compact stars. (AU)