Stable hybrid stars within a SU(3) Quark-Meson-Model

TL;DR

This paper models stable hybrid stars with nuclear outer layers and quark matter cores using a SU(3) Quark-Meson model, exploring conditions for twin star formation constrained by recent massive pulsar observations.

Contribution

It introduces a hybrid star model with a chiral SU(3) Quark-Meson approach and analyzes the conditions for twin star emergence within these models.

Findings

Twin stars are unlikely to form due to high transition pressures.

A high speed of sound in quark matter is needed for twin stars, but conflicts with stability.

The model constrains the equation of state based on recent pulsar mass measurements.

Abstract

The inner regions of the most massive compact stellar objects might be occupied by a phase of quarks. Since the observations of the massive pulsars PSR J1614-2230 and of PSR J0348+0432 with about two solar masses, the equations of state constructing relativistic stellar models have to be constrained respecting these new limits. We discuss stable hybrid stars, i.e. compact objects with an outer layer composed of nuclear matter and with a core consisting of quark matter (QM). For the outer nuclear layer we utilize a density dependent nuclear equation of state and we use a chiral SU(3) Quark-Meson model with a vacuum energy pressure to describe the objects core. The appearance of a disconnected mass-radius branch emerging from the hybrid star branch implies the existence of a third family of compact stars, so called twin stars. Twin stars did not emerge as the transition pressure has to be relatively small with a large jump in energy density, which could not be satisfied within our approach. This is, among other reasons, due to the fact that the speed of sound in QM has to be relatively high, which can be accomplished by an increase of the repulsive coupling. This increase on the other hand yields too high transition pressures for twins stars to appear.