Stringent limits on quark star masses due to the chiral transition temperature

Abstract

Recent finite-temperature QCD lattice data are analyzed within a quasiparticle model, and extrapolated to nonzero chemical potential. Determined by the chiral transition temperature, the resulting equation of state of charge neutral, $\beta$-stable deconfined matter limits the mass and the size of quark stars.

Comments: 4 pages with figs (v2: minor grammatical changes)