QCD against black holes?

TL;DR

This paper explores the interplay between quantum chromodynamics phase transitions and gravitational collapse in neutron stars, proposing that quark-gluon plasma formation may halt black hole formation.

Contribution

It introduces a combined analysis of QCD phase transitions and gravitational collapse, highlighting how quark-gluon plasma formation can prevent black hole formation in massive neutron stars.

Findings

High-temperature quark-gluon plasma can form during collapse.

QCD phase transition impacts gravitational collapse dynamics.

Potential halting of black hole formation due to plasma creation.

Abstract

Along with compacting baryon (neutron) spacing, two very important factors come into play at once: the lack of self-stabilization within a compact neutron star (NS) associated with possible black hole (BH) horizon appearance and the phase transition - color deconfinement and QCD-vacuum reconstruction - within the nuclear matter. That is why both phenomena should be taken into account side by side, as the gravitational collapse is considered. Since, under the above transition, the hadronic-phase vacuum (filled up with gluon and chiral $q\bar q$-condensates) turns into the "empty" (perturbation) subhadronic-phase one and, thus, the corresponding (very high) pressure falls down rather abruptly, the formerly cold (degenerated) nuclear medium starts to implode into the new vacuum. If the mass of a star is sufficiently large, then this implosion produces an enormous heating, which stops only after quark-gluon plasma of a temperature about 100 MeV (or even higher) is formed to withstand the gravitational compression (whereas the highest temperatures of supernovae bursts are, at least, one order lower). As a consequence, a "burning wall" must be, most probably, erected on the way of further collapsing the matter towards a black hole formation.