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The duration of the neutrino burst from the supernova event SN 1987A is known to be sensitive to exotic sources of cooling, such as axions radiated from the dense and hot hadronic matter thought to constitute the inner core of the supernova. We perform the first quantitative study of the role of hadronic matter beyond the first generation -- in particular strange matter. We do so by consistently including the full baryon and meson octets, and computing axion emissivity induced from baryon-meson to baryon-axion scatterings as well as from baryon decays. We consider a range of supernova thermodynamic conditions, as well as equation-of-state models with different strangeness content. We obtain the first bound on the axial axion-strange-strange coupling, as well as the strongest existing bound on the axion-down-strange counterpart. Our bound on the latter coupling can be as small as $O(10^{-2})$ for $f_a = 10^9$ GeV., Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures. v2: Text completely overhauled, and main figures redesigned for improved readability; results unchanged. Matches journal version

Nonperturbative equations of state (EoSs) for two and three quark flavors are constructed with the functional renormalization group (FRG) within a quark-meson model truncation augmented by vector mesons for low temperature and high density. Based on previous FRG studies without repulsive vector meson interactions the influence of isoscalar vector $\omega$- and $\phi$-mesons on the dynamical fluctuations of quarks and (pseudo)scalar mesons is investigated. The grand potential as well as vector meson condensates are evaluated as a function of quark chemical potential and the quark matter EoS in $\beta$-equilibrium is applied to neutron star (NS) physics. The tidal deformability and mass-radius relations for hybrid stars from combined hadronic and quark matter EoSs are compared for different vector couplings. We observe a significant impact of the vector mesons on the quark matter EoS such that the resulting EoS is sufficiently stiff to support two-solar-mass neutron stars., Comment: 20 pages, 7 figures, 1 table; to appear in EPJ ST Special Issue: Strong Correlations in Dense Matter Physics

We study the possible occurrence of the hadron-quark phase transition (PT) during the merging of neutron star binaries by hydrodynamical simulations employing a set of temperature dependent hybrid equations of state (EoSs). Following previous work we describe an unambiguous and measurable signature of deconfined quark matter in the gravitational-wave (GW) signal of neutron star binary mergers including equal-mass and unequal-mass systems of different total binary mass. The softening of the EoS by the PT at higher densities, i.e. after merging, leads to a characteristic increase of the dominant postmerger GW frequency f_peak relative to the tidal deformability Lambda inferred during the premerger inspiral phase. Hence, measuring such an increase of the postmerger frequency provides evidence for the presence of a strong PT. If the postmerger frequency and the tidal deformability are compatible with results from purely baryonic EoS models yielding very tight relations between f_peak and Lambda, a strong PT can be excluded up to a certain density. We find tight correlations of f_peak and Lambda with the maximum density during the early postmerger remnant evolution. These GW observables thus inform about the density regime which is probed by the remnant and its GW emission. Exploiting such relations we devise a directly applicable, concrete procedure to constrain the onset density of the QCD PT from future GW measurements. We point out two interesting scenarios: if no indications for a PT are inferred from a GW detection, our procedure yields a lower limit on the onset density of the hadron quark PT. On the contrary, if a merger event reveals evidence for the occurrence of deconfined quark matter, the inferred GW parameters set an upper limit on the PT onset density. (abridged), Comment: 35 pages, 24 figures; accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. D

With the recent dawn of the multi-messenger astronomy era a new window has opened to explore the constituents of matter and their interactions under extreme conditions. One of the pending challenges of modern physics is to probe the microscopic equation of state (EoS) of cold and dense matter via macroscopic neutron star observations such as their masses and radii. Still unanswered issues concern the detailed composition of matter in the core of neutron stars at high pressure and the possible presence of e.g. hyperons or quarks. By means of a non-perturbative functional renormalization group approach the influence of quantum and density fluctuations on the quark matter EoS in $\beta$-equilibrium is investigated within two- and three-flavor quark-meson model truncations and compared to results obtained with common mean-field approximations where important fluctuations are usually ignored. We find that they strongly impact the quark matter EoS., Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables, to be published in PRD

We identify an observable imprint of a first-order hadron-quark phase transition at supranuclear densities on the gravitational-wave (GW) emission of neutron star mergers. Specifically, we show that the dominant postmerger GW frequency f_peak may exhibit a significant deviation from an empirical relation between f_peak and the tidal deformability if a strong first-order phase transition leads to the formation of a gravitationally stable extended quark matter core in the postmerger remnant. A comparison of the GW signatures from a large, representative sample of microphysical, purely hadronic equations of state indicates that this imprint is only observed in those systems which undergo a strong first-order phase transition. Such a shift of the dominant postmerger GW frequency can be revealed by future GW observations, which would provide evidence for the existence of a strong first-order phase transition in the interior of neutron stars., Comment: Main paper: 8 pages, 4 figures; Supplemental Material: 4 pages, 5 figures, 1 table. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett

An accurate low-energy dispersive parametrization of the scalar Kpi form factor was constructed some time ago in terms of a single parameter guided by the Callan-Treiman low-energy theorem. A similar twice subtracted dispersive parametrization for the vector Kpi form factor will be investigated here. The robustness of the parametrization of these two form factors will be studied in great detail. In particular the cut-off dependence, the isospin breaking effects and the possible, though not highly probable, presence of zeros in the form factors will be discussed. Interesting constraints in the latter case will be obtained from the soft-kaon analog of the Callan-Treiman theorem and a comparison with the recent tau --> K pi nu_tau data., Comment: 24 pages, 11 figures

The properties of the pseudoscalar Goldstone bosons in the color-flavor locked phase at moderate densities are studied within a model of the Nambu--Jona-Lasinio type. The Goldstone bosons are constructed explicitly by solving the Bethe-Salpeter equation for quark-quark scattering in random phase approximation. Main focus of our investigations are (i) the weak decay constant in the chiral limit, (ii) the masses of the flavored (pseudo-) Goldstone bosons for non-zero but equal quark masses, (iii) their masses and effective chemical potentials for non-equal quark masses, and (iv) the onset of kaon condensation. We compare our results with the predictions of the low-energy effective field theory. The deviations from results obtained in the weak-coupling limit are discussed in detail., Comment: 18 pages, 12 figures

We study pseudoscalar meson excitations in the color-flavor locked phase within a Nambu-Jona-Lasinio-type model by calculating diquark loops., Comment: Talk given by V.W. at the Helmholtz International Summer School "Dense Matter In Heavy Ion Collisions and Astrophysics", Dubna, August 21 - September 1, 2006; 4 pages, to appear in the proceedings

We discuss in detail a five-dimensional Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model compactified on $S^1/Z_2$ extended by the effective Majorana neutrino mass operator. We study the evolution of neutrino masses and mixings. Masses and angles, in particular the atmospheric mixing angle $\theta_{23}$, can be significantly lowered at high energies with respect to their value at low energy., Comment: 23 pages, 13 figures

Different scenarios of new physics beyond the standard model give rise to a direct coupling of right-handed quarks to W bosons. We will discuss how the prediction of the Callan-Treiman low energy theorem for the scalar K pi form factor in combination with recent data on $K^L_{\mu 3}$ decays can serve as a stringent test of the standard model (SM) and possible extensions, in particular right-handed charged quark currents (RHCs). In addition, we will comment on the impact of hadronic tau decay data on RHCs., Comment: Talk given at QCD06, 3-7th July 06, Montpellier, France

Clean tests of a small admixture of right-handed quark currents directly coupled to the standard W are still lacking. We show that such non-standard couplings can be significantly constrained measuring the value of the scalar Kpi form factor at the Callan-Treiman point to a few percent. A realistic prospect of such a measurement in K^L_{mu3} decay based on an accurate dispersive representation of the scalar form factor is presented. The inadequacy of the currently used linear parametrisation is explained and illustrated using recent KTeV data. We briefly comment on the charged Kaon mode., Comment: 15 pp, 3 eps figs, Comment on the charged Kaon mode and few refs added

Flavour changing neutral current decays are a very sensitive test of the standard model and its extensions. In particular the decay K -> pi nu nubar constitutes a clean way to provide constraints, independent of long distance effects. Motivated by the recent experimental data of the E787 and E865 collaborations and by the difference between the standard model prediction and data, we consider in detail new physics scenarios such as the minimal supersymmetric standard model and R-parity violating supersymmetry. We begin with analysing the impact of new measurements on the standard model result obtaining B(K^+ -> pi^+ nu nubar)=(8.18 +/- 1.22) x 10^(-11). Predictions for other rare kaon decays are discussed, too. Our results allow to improve the limits on R-parity violating couplings with respect to previous analyses., Comment: 17 pages, 2 figures, 1 table, LaTeX, JHEP style, references and 1 figure updated, minor changes in the text

We study the low energy limit of Little Higgs models. The method consists in eliminating the heavy fields using their classical equations of motion in the infinite mass limit. After the elimination of the heavy degrees of freedom we can directly read off deviations from the precision electroweak data. We also examine the effects on the low energy precision experiments., Comment: Misprint in eps3 for the custodial model corrected and additional discussion of the triplet higgs