Benjamin Elder with Glenn Starkman

Evaluating the Stability of Electroweak Stars

It is believed that at extremely high temperatures a process called electroweak burning can occur wherein 9 quarks become 3 leptons.  Experimental evidence of this process is desired, yet even the most powerful particle accelerators are unable to create the necessary temperatures.  Looking elsewhere, it is possible that adequate conditions could exist in the center of a star, and indeed an equilibrium solution has been found.  This solution has a central density and temperature that is far higher than the limit of stability of neutron stars, and so would normally be unstable.  However, it has been shown that the leptons created in the burning process can escape from the star, allowing the burning process to continue, providing the extra support required to counteract gravitational collapse.  Although this demonstrates that such a star can exist in principle, it does not guarantee stability.  In this project, I will investigate whether or not the known solution is stable to radial perturbations.