Stability of the mixed phase in hybrid stars

¹ INFN, Sezione di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 2, 00185 Roma, Italy e-mail: benhar@roma1.infn.it
² Dipartimento di Fisica, Università “La Sapienza", Piazzale Aldo Moro, 2, 00185 Roma, Italy

Received: 15 October 2004
Accepted: 14 December 2004

Abstract

The transition from hadronic matter to quark matter in the core of neutron stars is likely to be associated with the appearance of a mixed phase, leading to a smooth variation of the star density profile. We discuss the results of a systematic study of the properties of the mixed phase on Coulomb and surface effects. A state-of-the-art nonrelativistic equation of state of nuclear matter has been used for the low density phase, while quark matter has been described within the MIT bag model, including the effect of perturbative one-gluon exchange interactions. The implications for neutron star structure are discussed.