David Blaschke
Isolated and eccentric millisecond pulsars from strong phase transitions in binary neutron stars
Millisecond pulsars have proven to be exceptional laboratories, serving as precise cosmic clocks and providing unique insights into stellar evolution. Their significance extends to testing theories of general relativity and probing the fundamental properties of dense matter. A unique category of millisecond pulsars is found within binary systems with a low-mass white dwarf companion exhibiting substantial eccentricity, deviating from the expected circular nature of their orbits. Exploring the mechanisms driving eccentricity in these systems provides crucial insights into the broader understanding of the inherent uncertainties associated with such complex astrophysical systems. We report results of a comprehensive analysis to investigate whether gravitational mass defects, caused by a rapid first-order phase transition from ordinary baryonic to quark matter, either with or without additional asymmetric kicks, can explain the observed eccentricity in millisecond pulsars within binary systems and also the fraction of gravitationally unbound systems, the isolated millisecond pulsars.