Does a hadron-quark phase transition in dense matter preclude the existence of massive neutron stars ?

TL;DR

This paper investigates whether a hadron-quark phase transition in dense matter prevents the existence of massive neutron stars, finding that such a transition does not necessarily exclude their formation.

Contribution

It demonstrates that the softening caused by a hadron-quark phase transition can still be compatible with the observed massive neutron stars.

Findings

Hadron-quark phase transition does not preclude massive neutron stars

Updated Skyrme functionals accurately model nuclear matter

Massive neutron stars can exist despite equation of state softening

Abstract

We study the impact of a hadron-quark phase transition on the maximum neutron-star mass. The hadronic part of the equation of state relies on the most up-to-date Skyrme nuclear energy density functionals, fitted to essentially all experimental nuclear mass data and constrained to reproduce the properties of infinite nuclear matter as obtained from microscopic calculations using realistic forces. We show that the softening of the dense matter equation of state due to the phase transition is not necessarily incompatible with the existence of massive neutron stars like PSR J1614-2230.