Applications of the Octet Baryon Quark-Meson Coupling Model to Hybrid Stars

TL;DR

This paper explores advanced theoretical models, including the Quark-Meson Coupling model, to better understand the internal structure of hybrid stars and the phase transition from hadronic to quark matter.

Contribution

It extends existing models of neutron star matter by incorporating modern insights into the strong interaction and phase transitions to deconfined quark matter.

Findings

Enhanced models of hybrid stars with phase transition mechanisms

Deeper understanding of strong interaction in dense matter

Framework for future astrophysical and nuclear physics studies

Abstract

In this study we have investigated a particular state-of-the-art model which is currently used to refine our knowledge of the workings of the strong interaction and the way that it is manifested in both neutron stars and heavy nuclei, although we have placed emphasis on the former for reasons of personal interest. The main body of this work has surrounded an effective field theory known as Quantum Hadrodynamics (QHD) and its variations, as well as an extension to this known as the Quark-Meson Coupling (QMC) model, and variations thereof. We further extend these frameworks to include the possibility of a phase transition from hadronic matter to deconfined quark matter to produce hybrid stars, using various models. We have investigated these pre-existing models to deeply understand how they are justified, and given this information, we have expanded them to incorporate a modern understanding of how the strong interaction is manifest.