Finite-size effects at the hadron-quark transition and heavy hybrid stars

Understand

We study the role of finite-size effects at the hadron-quark phase transition in a new hybrid equation of state constructed from an ab-initio Br\"uckner-Hartree-Fock equation of state with the realistic Bonn-B potential for the hadronic phase and a covariant non-local Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model for the quark phase.

• We construct static hybrid star sequences and find that our model can support stable hybrid stars with an onset of quark matter below $2 M_\odot$ and a maximum mass above $2.17 M_\odot$ in agreement with recent observations.
• If the finite-size effects are taken into account the core is composed of pure quark matter.
• Provided that the quark vector channel interaction is small, and the finite size effects are taken into account, quark matter appears at densities 2-3 times the nuclear saturation density.