Stability of Color-flavor-locked Phase and Its Phase Transition

Key words: 
• color superconducting /
• color-flavor-locked matter /
• condensation /
• nuclear matter /
• phase structure

Abstract: Quark matter at high density has a rich phase structure. Goidstone-mode may condense in the color-flavor-locked （CFL） phase matter. We review the stability of CFL phase and its phase transition, as well as the effect of nonzero strangeness chemical potential on the CFL phase of dense quark matter. It is pointed out that, depending on the value of μs, both K^0 and K^-0 may condense in the CFL matter. As a function of quark chemical potential, other phases may intervene between the nuclear-matter and CFL phase. The simplest possibility, however, is a transition between nuclear and CFL matter. Such a transition could occur either at a single sharp interface or through a mixed phase region. The effect of discontinuous K^- meson condensation on the phase transition is also discussed. [