Neutron Stars and Massive Quark Matter

TL;DR

This paper models neutron stars with quark matter using the Color-Dielectric model, predicting their masses, radii, and cooling mechanisms, and discusses implications for their composition.

Contribution

It introduces a quark-based model for neutron stars that includes strange quarks and beta-equilibrium, providing new predictions for their properties.

Findings

Neutron star masses range from 1.3 to 1.54 solar masses.

Predicted radius is approximately 9 km.

Rapid cooling via the direct URCA process is possible.

Abstract

Using the Color-Dielectric model to describe quark confinement, including strange quarks and accounting for beta--equilibrium, we get masses for a static neutron star in the range $1.3\leq M/M_{\odot}\leq 1.54 $ for a radius $R\approx 9$ km. Rapid cooling through the direct URCA mechanism is obtained. The implications for the composition of neutron stars is discussed.