Speaker
Description
The D3/probe D7 system provides a powerful tool for computing the properties of quarks at strong coupling including with temperature, density and chiral symmetry inducing interactions. When applied to neutron stars the system suggests that quark cores are too soft to support neutron stars. We investigate how one might escape that conclusion by looking at the effects of the running coupling and suggesting the possibility of new phases at finite density. A deconfined yet massive quark phase is modelled - if the transition to the high density chirally restored phase is second order then neutron stars remain hard to support. In a model where the transition is first order the phase can be quite distinct from the chirally restored phase and quark cores may be possible. Finally I will discuss a programme to build a new genre of AdS/QCD model based on domain wall fermion techniques that cleanly describes both confinement and the quark condensate - it is progressing towards a new modelling of neutron star equations of state.
