Asymptotic Freedom and Vacuum Polarization Determine the Astrophysical End State of Relativistic Gravitational Collapse: Quark--Gluon Plasma Star Instead of Black Hole

TL;DR

This paper proposes a model where quark-gluon plasma stars, supported by vacuum polarization and QCD asymptotic freedom, could be the true end state of relativistic gravitational collapse, potentially replacing black holes.

Contribution

It introduces a novel relativistic model of QCD stars stabilized by vacuum polarization and asymptotic freedom, challenging the black hole paradigm in astrophysics.

Findings

QCD stars can have masses up to 7 solar masses and radii up to 24 km.

These stars could mimic black holes in gravitational effects and lensing phenomena.

Potential observational signatures include unique gravitational-wave emissions and lensing patterns.

Abstract

A general relativistic model of an astrophysical hypermassive extremely magnetized ultra-compact self-bound quark--gluon plasma object that is supported against its ultimate gravitational implosion by the simultaneous action of the vacuum polarization driven by nonlinear electrodynamics (NLED: light-by-light scattering) and the quantum chromodynamics (QCD) asymptotic freedom, is presented. These QCD stars can be the final figures of the equilibrium of collapsing stellar cores. Post-supernova fallback material pushes the nascent remnant beyond its stability to collapse into a hybrid hypermassive neutron star (HHMNS). Hypercritical accretion can unbind the whole HHMNS's baryons to spontaneously break away color confinement, powering a first-order hadron-to-quark phase transition to a sea of ever-freer quarks and gluons. This core is hydro-stabilized by the steady, endlessly compression-admitting asymptotic freedom state, possibly via gluon-mediated enduring exchange of color charge among bound states. The nonlinear TOV equation indicates the occurrence of hypermassive QGP/QCD stars with a wide mass spectrum ($0\lesssim$ M$^{\rm{QGP}}_{\rm{Star}}\lesssim$\,7\,M$_\odot$ and beyond), for star radii ($0\lesssim R^{\rm{QGP}}_{\rm{Star}}\lesssim 24$\,km and beyond) with B-fields ($10^{14} \leq$ B$^{\rm{QGP}}_{\rm{Star}} \leq 10^{16}$\,G and beyond). Such QCD stars can emulate what the true black holes are supposed to gravitationally do in most astrophysical settings. This color quark star could be found through a search for its eternal ``yo-yo'' state gravitational-wave emission, or via lensing phenomena like gravitational rainbows, as in this scenario it is expected that the light deflection angle, directly influenced by the larger effective mass/radius and magnetic field of the deflecting object, increases as the incidence angle decreases for impact parameter lower values.