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Color superconducting matter in a magnetic field
Kenji Fukushima1, Harmen J Warringa
1RIKEN BNL Research Center, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|February 1, 2008
Summary
Strong magnetic fields can alter quark matter pairing. Oscillatory gap parameters in cold dense quark matter are observed, potentially deviating from zero-field structures under magnetar conditions.
Area of Science:
- Nuclear Physics
- Quantum Chromodynamics
- Astrophysical Matter
Background:
- Dense quark matter is a state of matter relevant to neutron stars and the early universe.
- Understanding the behavior of quark matter under extreme conditions, such as strong magnetic fields, is crucial.
- Effective models with four-Fermi interactions are employed to study strongly interacting systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of external magnetic fields on cold dense quark matter.
- To analyze the pairing properties and gap parameters of quark matter in the presence of magnetic fields.
- To explore potential deviations from standard gap structures under extreme magnetic conditions.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing an effective model incorporating four-Fermi interactions.
- Calculating gap parameters that characterize quark flavor pairing.
- Analyzing the behavior of these parameters as a function of magnetic field strength.
Main Results:
- Observed oscillatory behavior in gap parameters with varying magnetic field strength.
- Demonstrated that magnetic fields significantly impact the predominant pairing between different quark flavors.
- Indicated potential structural deviations in the gap parameters compared to zero-field scenarios.
Conclusions:
- External magnetic fields induce significant changes in the pairing structure of cold dense quark matter.
- The oscillatory nature of gap parameters suggests a complex response to magnetic field strength.
- Electric and color neutrality constraints, combined with strong magnetic fields, may lead to substantial modifications of the quark matter gap structure, particularly relevant for astrophysical objects like magnetars.
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