夸克物质与夸克星

二十世纪六七十年代强子结构研究的进展使人们认识到了亚核子--夸克--的存在,随后,实验和理论上关于夸克之间作用渐近自由性质的发现使学者们明确地提出了"夸克物质"的概念.理论上预言的这种物质是否真的存在将在很大程度上检验目前基本强作用的理论.夸克星就是夸克物质的可能存在形式之一,相关研究也是人们探索超核密度物质状态的重要途径,该文简述脉冲星、中子星及夸克星的研究历史,总结了近年来夸克物质与夸克星研究的重要成果,指出了夸克星与一般中子星的异同以及若干夸克星候选体.     

夸克相变对Ⅱ型超新星转移能量的影响

假设超新星在坍缩过程中,当物质达到超核密度状态后,在临界密度下发生夸克相交．用ＷＷ（８８）初始模型在有夸克相交情形下对坍缩反弹和激波传播作了模拟,重点讨论了夸克相变对转移能量的影响．在适当的临界密度下发生夸克相交,可以增加转移能量从而得到更强的激波．     

夸克相变对Ⅱ型超新星转移能量的影响

假设超新星在坍缩过程中,当物质达到超核密度状态后,在临界密度下发生夸克相变。用ＷＷ（８８）初始模型在有夸克相变情形下对坍缩反弹和激波传播作了模拟,重点讨论了夸克相变对转移能量的影响,在适当的临界密度下发生夸克相变,可以增加转移能量从而得到更强的激波。     

超新星核中的非奇异－奇异夸克物质相变

最近Ｇｅｎｔｉｌｅ等研究了超新星核区从核物质到夸克物质的一级相变．沿着他们的工作，本文研究从两味夸克物质到三味夸克物质的相变过程．我们发现相变时标小于１０－７秒．超新星的中心温度和核区的中微子总能量明显增大，这不仅会增加超新星爆发的成功机会，而且会提高复活激波的能量，同时会影响新生中子星的冷却．核区存在Ｓｃｈｗａｒｚｓｃｈｉｌｄ对流．     

轻夸克物质团、奇异子和致密矮星

相对于核物质和奇异夸克物质, 仅由两味夸克构成的轻夸克物质(即ud夸克物质)有可能更稳定. 而对于由这三类物质构成的典型物质集团, 研究发现如果ud夸克物质具有较大的对称能, 那么其物质团会在特定大小(重子数$A\approx1000$)时最稳定. 在这种情况下, 就可能存在由ud夸克物质团和电子构成的致密矮星, 即ud夸克矮星. 通过进一步研究这类ud夸克矮星的结构可知: 相较于传统的由原子核和电子构成的白矮星, ud夸克矮星通常具有较小的半径, 而被正常物质覆盖的ud夸克矮星的半径则在它们之间, 这与最近观测到的质量和半径都异常小的白矮星相符.     

超新星核中的非奇异—奇异夸克物质相变

最近Ｇｅｎｔｉｌｅ等研究了超新星核区从核物质到夸克物质的一级相变，沿着他们的工作，本文研究从两味夸克物质到三味夸克物质的相变过程，我们发现相变时标小于１０＾－７秒，超新星的中心温度和核区的中微子总能量明显增大，这不仅会增加超新星爆发的成功机会，而且会提高复活激波的能量，同时会影响新生中子星的冷却，核区存在Ｓｃｈｗａｒｚｓｃｈｉｌｄ对流。     

中子星内部物理学——Ⅱ.超高密度物质状态下的物理学

本文介绍了研究中子星内部超高密度物质状态时常用的量子力学和量子场论方法,例如BBG核物质理论和Walecka平均场模型。介绍了近年来的一些研究状况,其中包括中子星内部的反常核态、π凝聚和夸克物质等问题的研究简况。     

夸克星·Q星·灰洞

夸克星·Ｑ星·灰洞对于密度极大的致密星体，除目前公认的中子星和可能存在的黑洞外，是否有其他形式的天体呢？多年来，不少科学家在探讨这一问题。现将已发表的三种可能存在的情形简介于下：夸克星自从核物理学家证实上、下夸克（Ｑｕａｒｋ）是质子和中子的组份后，７...     

宇宙的大尺度结构

在宇宙的已观测的范围内,从尺度10~(10)cm直到10~(26)cm可视物质的分布是不均匀的。对星系三维分布的研究结果表明,绝大多数的星系集中在由星系的带、群和团组成的超星系团中;而在超星系团之间是几乎没有可视天体的巨洞。宇宙的大尺度结构(在尺度10Mpc—10~2Mpc上星系分布不均匀性的特征)似乎是网状的。对类星体红移分布的统计分析结果表明,在大尺度结构中可能有周期性分布的成分。周期尺度是10~2Mpc的数量级。 在另一方面,关于微波背景辐射的温度起伏的观测(δT/T 10~(-5),在角尺度10′—180°的范围)表明,宇宙中的物质在更大尺度(10~3Mpc)上的分布是均匀的。 大尺度结构是怎样从早期均匀的背景宇宙中增长起来的?这是在宇宙学中最重要也是最困难的问题上一;要解决这个问题需要有关于宇宙的完善的模型。目前所流行的、关于大尺度结构的理论,基本上是以膨胀宇宙论和密度扰动的理论为基础的理论。 在绝热密度扰动(假定初始扰动是绝热的)的方案中,有两种观念特别值得注意: 1,宇宙密度波的观念。在早期宇宙中的扰动有可能在氢复合前形成有物理意义的相干波列;这种波——“宇宙密度波”在氢复合之后有可能影响物质的分布。作为宇宙密度波的可观测遗迹,可以解释已观测的星系分布不均匀性的上限尺度,以及在类星     

塌缩星的熵和黑洞的熵

本文提出了黑洞形成的三种具体模式,即:(Ⅰ)塌缩物质团中心先形成黑洞核,外部物质逐渐落入使黑洞核不断长大,最后整个星体形成一个黑洞;(Ⅱ)塌缩物质团各层同时满足Schwarzschild条件;(Ⅲ)塌缩物质团最外层先满足Schwarzschild条件.计算了三种模式中塌缩物质所携带的熵S_m,与所形成黑洞的黑洞熵S_(BH),发现S_(BH)比S_m大10~(19)倍,并得到了能形成黑洞的质量下限为Planck质量M_p=10~(-5)g.对S_(BH)的本质进行了讨论,认为S_(BH)中除普通的热力学熵以外,还可能包含有其它的东西.     

Signal of quark deconfinement in thermal evolution neutron stars with deconfinement heating

As neutron stars spin-down and contract, the deconfinement phase transition can continue to occur, resulting in energy release (so-called deconfinement heating) in case of the first-order phase transition. The thermal evolution of neutron stars is investigated to combine phase transition and the related energy release self-consistently. We find that the appearance of deconfinement heating during spin-down result in not only the cooling delay but also the increase of surface temperature of stars. For stars characterized by intermediate and weak magnetic field strength, a period of increasing surface temperature could exist. Especially, a sharp jump in surface temperature can be produced as soon as quark matter appears in the core of stars with a weak magnetic field. We think that this may serve as evidence for the existence of deconfinement quark matter. The results show that deconfinement heating facilitates the emergence of such characteristic signature during the thermal evolution process of neutron stars.     

Thermal evolution of rotating hybrid stars

As a neutron star spins down, the nuclear matter is continuously converted into quark matter due to the core density increase, and then latent heat is released. We have investigated the thermal evolution of neutron stars undergoing such deconfinement phase transition. We have taken into account the conversion in the frame of the general theory of relativity. The released energy has been estimated as a function of changed rate of deconfinement baryon number. The numerical solutions to the cooling equation are seen to be very different from those without the heating effect. The results show that neutron stars may be heated to higher temperatures which is well matched with pulsar's data despite the onset of fast cooling in neutron stars with quark matter cores. It is also found that the heating effect has a magnetic field strength dependence. This feature could be particularly interesting for high temperatures of low-field millisecond pulsars at a later stage. The high temperature could fit the observed temperature for PSR J0437−4715.     

Cooling of quark stars in the colour superconductive phase: effect of photons from glueball decay

The cooling history of a quark star in the colour superconductive phase is investigated. Here we specifically focus on the two-flavour colour (2SC) phase where the novel process of photon generation via glueball (GLB) decay has already been investigated. The picture we present here can, in principle, be generalized to quark stars entering a superconductive phase where similar photon generation mechanisms are at play. As much as 10⁴⁵–10⁴⁷ erg of energy is provided by the GLB decay in the 2SC phase. The generated photons slowly diffuse out of the quark star, keeping it hot and radiating as a blackbody (with possibly a Wien spectrum in gamma-rays) for millions of years. We discuss hot radio-quiet isolated neutron stars in our picture (such as RX J185635–3754 and RX J0720.4–3125) and argue that their nearly blackbody spectra (with a few broad features) and their remarkably tiny hydrogen atmosphere are indications that these might be quark stars in the colour superconductive phase where some sort of photon generation mechanism (reminiscent of the GLB decay) has taken place. Fits to observed data of cooling compact stars favour models with superconductive gaps of  Δ_2SC∼ 15–35 MeV  and densities  ρ_2SC= (2.5–3.0) ×ρ_N  (ρ_N being the nuclear matter saturation density) for quark matter in the 2SC phase. If correct, our model combined with more observations of isolated compact stars could provide vital information to studies of quark matter and its exotic phases.     

The r-mode instability windows of hybrid stars

Taking into account the peculiar properties of hybrid stars, stars containing both a core of strange quark matter and the solid crust of a neutron star, and employing a fully self-consistent second-order correction technique, we study the time scale of bulk viscosity dissipation at the low temperature limit (T < 10⁹ K) and with this time scale we calculate the critical spin frequency of the hybrid star. It is found that its minimal value is 704.42 Hz (corresponding to a pulse period of 1.42 ms). When this is compared with the periods of neutron and strange stars, a better interpretation of the observational data is obtained.     

The conversion from neutron stars to strange stars and its implications

The conversion from neutron stars with different equation of states (EOSs) for neutron matter into strange stars with different EOSs for strange quark matter has been studied in a general relativistic numerical calculation in this paper. For hot neutron stars, their conversion may lead to great variations in their rotation periods, of which the magnitude would be greatly dependent upon the EOS for neutron matter, and of which the timescale would be greatly determined by the EOS for strange matter. This phenomenon appears as giant glitches, which might provide a probe of EOSs for both neutron matter and strange matter. But for cold neutron stars, their conversion may result in a population of gamma-ray bursts.     

Implication of existence of hybrid stars and theoretical expectation of submillisecond pulsars

We derive the bulk viscous damping timescale of hybrid stars, neutron stars with quark matter core. The r-mode instability windows of the stars show that the theoretical results are consistent with the rapid rotation pulsar data, which may give an indication for the existence of quark matter in the interior of neutron stars. Hybrid stars instead of neutron or strange stars may lead to submillisecond pulsars.     

Neutron Stars With a Quark Core

Models of neutron stars with a quark core are calculated on the basis of an extensive set of equations of state for superdense matter. The possible existence of a new branch of stable layered neutron stars is revealed for some realistic equations of state of neutron matter.     

Maximum mass of a hot neutron star with a quark core

We have considered a hot neutron star with a quark core,a mixed phase of quark-hadron matter,and a hadronic matter crust and have determined the equation of state of the hadronic phase and the quark phase.We have then found the equation of state of the mixed phase under the Gibbs conditions.Finally,we have computed the structure of a hot neutron star with a quark core and compared our results with those of the neutron star without a quark core.For the quark matter calculations,we have used the MIT bag model...     

Neutron Stars with a Quark Core. II. Basic Integral and Structural Parameters

A broad sample of computed realistic equations of state of superdense matter with a quark phase transition is used to construct a series of models of neutron stars with a strange quark core. The integral characteristics of the stellar configurations are obtained: gravitational mass, rest mass, radius, relativistic moment of inertia, and red shift from the star's surface, as well as the mass and radius of the quark core within the allowable range of values for the central pressure. The parameters of some of the characteristic configurations of the calculated series are also given and these are studied in detail. It is found that a new additional region of stability for neutron stars with strange quark cores may exist for some models of the equation of state.