Cold Quark matter
The phase diagram of quantum chromodynamics (QCD), the theory of the strong nuclear force, is poorly understood. At high enough temperatures or densities, the strong coupling constant $\alpha_s$, characterizing the interactions between fundamental quarks and gluons, becomes small. In this regime, perturbative calculations directly within QCD are possible. Much of my research has been focussed on pushing perturbative QCD calculations beyond the next-to-next-to-leading order computations performed in the 1980s. Since 2018, my work has characterized the next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order equation of state of cold, zero-temperature quark matter, through a series of Physical Review Letter articles (in 2018, 2021, and 2023). The full N3LO computation is now within reach. I have also improved the calculation of the finite-temperature equation of state of quark matter, adding the effect of quark masses in an article in Phys. Rev. D in 2022.
Nov 12, 2024
Pressure and speed of sound in two-flavor color-superconducting quark matter at next-to-leading order
We calculate the next-to-leading order corrections to the pertubative QCD pressure arising from the color superconducting gap at large net baryon density. We find a quite sizeable correction!
Mar 26, 2024
Estimate for the Bulk Viscosity of Strongly Coupled Quark Matter Using Perturbative QCD and Holography
We calculate state-of-the-art results for an important transport property in deconfined quark matter: the bulk viscosity.
Feb 1, 2024
Equation of state at neutron-star densities and beyond from perturbative QCD
We show that equations of state that are extremely stiff within the cores of maximally massive neutron stars are incompatible with the behavior of the speed of sound at high densities 25-40$n_\mathrm{sat}$
Dec 21, 2023
Quark matter and nuclear astrophysics: Recent developments
Proceedings from Quark Matter 2023 summarizing my recent work (as well as a few others') on quark matter and nuclear astrophysics.
Dec 15, 2023
Bounding the QCD Equation of State with the Lattice
We show that the pressure of phase-quenched QCD -- a theory that is simpler to compute on the lattice -- agrees with the pressure of true QCD up to next-to-next-to-next to leading order, where it differes in only one part of one diagram (pictured).
Sep 26, 2023
Equation of State of Cold Quark Matter to $O(\alpha_s^3 \ln \alpha_s)$
We calculate the state-of-the-art pressure of cold and dense deconfined matter by accounting for the physics from all of the long-wavelength, dynamically screened gluons at next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order.
Jul 17, 2023
Lectures on Perturbative QCD at finite temperature and density
Jun 10, 2023
3 Lectures on Neutron stars and their equation of state
May 15, 2022
Lectures on Perturbative QCD at high densities
A two-hour lecture on the basics of in-medium field theory as applied to cold quark matter at high densities.
Nov 17, 2021