Formation of quark phases in compact stars and SN explosion

TL;DR

This paper explores how quark deconfinement in compact stars could rapidly release energy, potentially revitalizing supernova explosions and explaining gamma-ray bursts with heavy element lines.

Contribution

It introduces scenarios of quark deconfinement in compact stars and analyzes their implications for supernovae and gamma-ray bursts.

Findings

Quark deconfinement can occur rapidly as a strong deflagration.

Neutrino bursts from deconfinement could revive failed supernova explosions.

Deconfinement may explain gamma-ray bursts with heavy element spectral lines.

Abstract

We describe possible scenarios of quark deconfinement in compact stars and we analyze their astrophysical implications. The quark deconfinement process can proceed rapidly, as a strong deflagration, releasing a huge amount of energy in a short time and generating an extra neutrino burst. If energy is transferred efficiently to the surface, like e.g. in the presence of convective instabilities, this burst could contribute to revitalize a partially failed SN explosion. We discuss how the neutrino observations from SN1987A would fit in this scenario. Finally, we focus on the fate of massive and rapidly rotating progenitors, discussing possible time separations between the moment of the core collapse and the moment of quark deconfinement. This mechanism can be at the basis of the interpretation of gamma ray bursts in which lines associated with heavy elements are present in the spectrum.