NICER view on holographic QCD

The holographic models for dense QCD matter work surprisingly well. A general implication seems that the deconfinement phase transition dictates the maximum mass of neutron stars. The nuclear matter phase turns out to be rather stiff which, if continuously merged with nuclear matter models based on effective field theories, leads to the conclusion that neutron stars do not have quark matter cores in the light of all current astrophysical data. We comment that as the perturbative QCD results are in stark contrast with strong coupling results, any future simulations of neutron star mergers incorporating corrections beyond ideal fluid should proceed cautiously. For this purpose, we provide a model which treats nuclear and quark matter phases in a unified framework at strong coupling.

Magnetic Dual Chiral Density Wave: A Candidate Quark Matter Phase for the Interior of Neutron Stars

In this review, we discuss the physical characteristics of the magnetic dual chiral density wave (MDCDW) phase of dense quark matter and argue why it is a promising candidate for the interior matter phase of neutron stars. The MDCDW condensate occurs in the presence of a magnetic field. It is a single-modulated chiral density wave characterized by two dynamically generated parameters: the fermion quasiparticle mass m and the condensate spatial modulation q. The lowest-Landau-level quasiparticle modes in the MDCDW system are asymmetric about the zero energy, a fact that leads to the topological properties and anomalous electric transport exhibited by this phase. The topology makes the MDCDW phase robust against thermal phonon fluctuations, and as such, it does not display the Landau–Peierls instability, a staple feature of single-modulated inhomogeneous chiral condensates in three dimensions. The topology is also reflected in the presence of the electromagnetic chiral anomaly in the effective action and in the formation of hybridized propagating modes known as axion-polaritons. Taking into account that one of the axion-polaritons of this quark phase is gapped, we argue how incident γ-ray photons can be converted into gapped axion-polaritons in the interior of a magnetar star in the MDCDW phase leading the star to collapse, a phenomenon that can serve to explain the so-called missing pulsar problem in the galactic center.

Design and applications of surfaces that control the accretion of matter

Surfaces that provide control over liquid, solid, or vapor accretion provide an evolutionary advantage to numerous plants, insects, and animals. Synthetic surfaces inspired by these natural surfaces can have a substantial impact on diverse commercial applications. Engineered liquid and solid repellent surfaces are often designed to impart control over a single state of matter, phase, or fouling length scale. However, surfaces used in diverse real-world applications need to effectively control the accrual of matter across multiple phases and fouling length scales. We discuss the surface design strategies aimed at controlling the accretion of different states of matter, particularly those that work across multiple length scales and different foulants. We also highlight notable applications, as well as challenges associated with these designer surfaces’ scale-up and commercialization.

Hadron–Quark Phase Transition in the SU (3) Local Nambu–Jona-Lasinio (NJL) Model with Vector Interaction

We study the hadron–quark hybrid equation of state (EOS) of compact-star matter. The Nambu–Jona-Lasinio (NJL) local SU (3) model with vector-type interaction is used to describe the quark matter phase, while the relativistic mean field (RMF) theory with the scalar-isovector δ-meson effective field is adopted to describe the hadronic matter phase. It is shown that the larger the vector coupling constant GV, the lower the threshold density for the appearance of strange quarks. For a sufficiently small value of the vector coupling constant, the functions of the mass dependence on the baryonic chemical potential have regions of ambiguity that lead to a phase transition in nonstrange quark matter with an abrupt change in the baryon number density. We show that within the framework of the NJL model, the hypothesis on the absolute stability of strange quark matter is not realized. In order to describe the phase transition from hadronic matter to quark matter, Maxwell’s construction is applied. It is shown that the greater the vector coupling, the greater the stiffness of the EOS for quark matter and the phase transition pressure. Our results indicate that the infinitesimal core of the quark phase, formed in the center of the neutron star, is stable.

Equation for condensed matter phase transitions

Concludes combined equation for the pressure drop in the apparatus with stationary and fluidized granular layer, and the resulting recursive equation is used to calculate phase transitions of matter, from the atomic granularity of matter to granular (particulate) material.