Neutrino and electron-positron pair emission from phase-induced collapse of neutron stars

Abstract

We study the neutrino emission from the gravitational collapse of a non-rotating neutron star induced by the phase transition from normal nuclear matter to a mixed phase of quark and nuclear matter in the core of the stars, and the possible consequences of the neutrino emission. The study is based on three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations and a high resolution shockcapturing scheme. We first determined the extremely high intensity periodic neutrino pulses resulting from neutrinosphere density and temperature oscillation. Second, we discovered the neutron star surface material could be blow off by these neutrino and annihilated electron-positron pulse, and the surface mass could then be further accelerated by electron-positron wind to extremely relativistic speed, which might be the possible source of gamma-ray burst. Lastly, we show that the pure radial damping time may be prolonged to 10s due to high temperature interior.