Landau levels of cold dense quark matter in a strong magnetic field

TL;DR

This paper investigates the Landau levels of strange quark matter under strong magnetic fields using the SU(3) NJL model, revealing how magnetic field strength influences quark flavor dominance and Landau level occupancy.

Contribution

It introduces a magnetic-field-dependent coupling in the NJL model to analyze Landau levels and quark flavor thresholds in dense matter under strong magnetic fields.

Findings

Landau levels are dominated by u and d quarks at low density.

Threshold chemical potentials for s quark onset are mapped in the μ-B plane.

Strong magnetic fields can confine almost all quarks to the lowest Landau level.

Abstract

The occupied Landau levels of strange quark matter are investigated in the framework of the SU(3) NJL model with a conventional coupling and a magnetic-field dependent coupling respectively. At lower density, the Landau levels are mainly dominated by u and d quarks. Threshold values of the chemical potential for the s quark onset are shown in the $\mu$-$B$ plane. The magnetic-field-dependent running coupling can broaden the region of three-flavor matter by decreasing the dynamical masses of $s$ quarks. Before the onset of $s$ quarks, the Landau level number of light quarks is directly dependent on the magnetic field strength $B$ by a simple inverse proportional relation $k_{i,\mathrm{max}}\approx B_i^0/B$ with $B_d^0=5\times 10^{19}$ G, which is approximately 2 times $B_u^0$ of $u$ quarks at a common chemical potential. When the magnetic field increases up to $B^0_d$, almost all three flavors are lying in the lowest Landau level.