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Signatures of Quark-Hadron Phase Transitions in General-Relativistic Neutron-Star Mergers
Elias R Most1, L Jens Papenfort1, Veronica Dexheimer2
1Institut für Theoretische Physik, Max-von-Laue-Straße 1, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany.
Physical Review Letters
|March 2, 2019
Summary
Merging neutron stars may reveal deconfined quarks. Simulations show a quark-hadron phase transition creates distinct gravitational wave signals, indicating a hot quark core and potential black hole collapse.
Area of Science:
- Astrophysics
- Nuclear Physics
- Gravitational Wave Astronomy
Background:
- Neutron star mergers are key sources of gravitational waves.
- They offer insights into matter at extreme densities and temperatures.
- A central question is whether quarks deconfine during these mergers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate quark deconfinement in merging neutron stars.
- To identify signatures of a quark-hadron phase transition in gravitational waves.
- To explore the properties of matter under extreme conditions.
Main Methods:
- First fully general-relativistic simulations of merging neutron stars with quarks at finite temperatures.
- Equation of state with switchable quark matter.
- Analysis of gravitational wave signals (inspiral, postmerger, ringdown).
Main Results:
- A quark-hadron phase transition significantly alters the postmerger gravitational wave signal.
- The transition leads to a hot, dense quark core and anticipated collapse.
- Ringdown signals differ if a quark core collapses to a black hole.
- Temperature and density evolution maps to the QCD phase diagram.
Conclusions:
- Gravitational wave signals can reveal quark deconfinement in neutron star mergers.
- The study provides a framework for distinguishing between hadronic and quark matter in extreme astrophysical environments.
- Simulations offer a new tool to probe the QCD phase diagram using astrophysical observations.
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