Gamma‐Ray Bursts from Delayed Collapse of Neutron Stars to Quark Matter Stars

2002/09/30 by Z. Berezhiani, Zurab Berezhiani, I. Bombaci +4 · 10 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Dense matter #Gamma-ray burst #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #Neutron star #Nuclear physics #Physics #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research #Quark star #Stars #Strange matter #astro-ph #hep-ph #nucl-th

paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/367756

published as Astrophys.J.586:1250-1253,2003 · AAS LaTeX, 12 pages, 1 figure, 2 tables Added references and comments

arxiv created 2003/02/13 · openalex publication_date 2003/03/25 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06

Abstract

We propose a model to explain how a gamma-ray burst can take place days or years after a supernova explosion. Our model is based on the conversion of a pure hadronic star (neutron star) into a star made at least in part of deconfined quark matter. The conversion process can be delayed if the surface tension at the interface between hadronic and deconfined quark matter phases is taken into account. The nucleation time (i.e., the time to form a critical-size drop of quark matter) can be extremely long if the mass of the star is small. Via mass accretion the nucleation time can be dramatically reduced and the star is finally converted into the stable configuration. A huge amount of energy, on the order of 10 52 -10 53 ergs, is released during the conversion process and can produce a powerful gamma-ray burst. The delay between the supernova explosion generating the metastable neutron star and the new collapse can explain the delay inferred in GRB 990705 and in GRB 011211.

Citations

• Is RX J1856.5−3754 a Quark Star?
• On the Absorption Feature in the Prompt X‐Ray Spectrum of GRB 990705
• Effects of hyperons on the dynamical deconfinement transition in cold neutron star matter
• The X-Ray Afterglow of the Gamma-Ray Burst of 1997 May 8:Spectral Variability and Possible Evidence of an Iron Line
• Transient Absorption Features in Gamma‐Ray Bursts and Their Implications for Gamma‐Ray Burst Progenitors
• From quark stars to hybrid stars
• Prompt and Delayed Emission Properties of Gamma‐Ray Bursts Observed with BeppoSAX
• Discovery of a Transient Absorption Edge in the X-ray Spectrum of GRB 990705
• Quark-Nova

Cited by

• Dynamical tides in neutron stars with first-order phase transitions: the role of the discontinuity mode
• Gamma Ray Bursts and the transition to Quark Matter in Compact Stars
• Mirror World, Supersymmetric Axion and Gamma Ray Bursts
• Quark Deconfinement and Implications for the Radius and the Limiting Mass of Compact Stars
• Quark deconfinement and neutrino trapping in compact stars
• On the nature of the bimodal initial velocity distribution of neutron stars
• Relativistic hybrid stars with super-strong toroidal magnetic fields: an evolutionary track with QCD phase transition
• The key role of BeppoSAX in the GRB history
• On the conversion of neutron stars into quark stars
• Deconfinement and color superconductivity in cold neutron stars