Exploring phase behavior of the MDCDW condensate in dense quark matter with a magnetic field: Where astrophysics meets QCD

The problem of predicting states of quark matter and describing their properties at various temperatures and densities—known as mapping the QCD phase diagram—has been a major goal of theoretical and experimental research in recent years. The region of low temperatures and intermediate densities is of particular interest to astrophysics because these conditions are realized in the interiors of neutron stars. I will discuss a candidate state of matter that may arise in such environments, known as the magnetic dual chiral density wave (MDCDW), which is characterized by a spatially oscillating chiral condensate. Using a generalized Ginzburg-Landau expansion to explore the condensate’s phase behavior, we found that the presence of a magnetic field enhances the stability against thermal fluctuations and extends the parameter space in which the condensate is energetically favored. At sufficiently strong magnetic fields and within a range of low temperatures compatible with neutron star conditions, MDCDW remains favored over the symmetric ground state at all densities. Future research on this phase may reveal deep insights on the behavior of matter under these extreme conditions, paving the way for new collaborations between nuclear physics and multi-messenger astronomy.