Gapless color-flavor locked phase in quark and hybrid stars

Abstract

We study the effects of the gapless color-flavor locked (gCFL) phase on the equation of state of strongly interacting matter in the range of baryonic chemical potential involved in a compact star. We analyze the possibility of a phase transition from hadronic matter to gCFL quark matter and we discuss, for different values of the strange quark mass and diquark coupling strength, the existence of a gCFL phase in quark or hybrid stars. The mass-radius relation and the structure of compact stars containing the gCFL phase are shown and the physical relevance of this superconducting phase inside a stellar object is also discussed.

7 pages, 11 figures