Two Dimensional Quantum Well of Gluons in Color Ferromagnetic Quark Matter

TL;DR

This paper proposes that gluons in dense quark matter form a two-dimensional quantum well with zero modes that could explain the extremely strong magnetic fields in magnetars.

Contribution

It introduces a novel layer structure of gluons in color ferromagnetic quark matter, showing they can form a quantum Hall state under certain conditions.

Findings

Gluons form a two-dimensional quantum well in dense quark matter.

Zero modes of gluons can organize into a quantum Hall state.

This structure may explain strong magnetic fields in magnetars.

Abstract

We have recently pointed out that color magnetic field is generated in dense quark matter, i.e. color ferromagnetic phase of quark matter. Using light cone quantization, we show that gluons occupying the lowest Landau level under the color magnetic field effectively form a two dimensional quantum well (layer), in which infinitely many zero modes of the gluons are present. We discuss that the zero modes of the gluons form a quantum Hall state by interacting repulsively with each other, just as electrons do in semiconductors. Such a ferromagnetic quark matter with the layer structure of the gluons is a possible origin of extremely strong magnetic field observed in magnetars.