Quantum Nucleation of Two-Flavor Quark Matter in Neutron Stars

Abstract

Rates for nucleation of two-flavor quark matter in a neutron star core, originally composed of nuclear matter in $\beta$ equilibrium, are calculated at zero temperature by a quantum tunneling analysis incorporating the electrostatic energy. We find that a nucleated droplet would develop into bulk matter due to electron screening effects.

Comments: 8 pages (LaTeX, PTP style), 4 Postscript figures, to be published in Prog. Theor. Phys. (Letters)