Gapless color-flavor locked phase in quark and hybrid stars

We study the effects of the gapless color–flavor locked (gCFL) phase on the equation of state of strongly interacting matter in the range of baryonic chemical potential involved in a compact star. We analyze the possibility of a phase transition from hadronic matter to gCFL quark matter and we discuss, for different values of the strange quark mass and diquark coupling strength, the existence of a gCFL phase in quark or hybrid stars. The mass–radius relation and the structure of compact stars containing the gCFL phase are shown and the physical relevance of this superconducting phase inside a stellar object is also discussed.