Quark-nova compact remnants: Observational signatures in astronomical data and implications to compact stars

Abstract

Quark-novae leave behind quark stars with a surrounding metal-rich fall-back (ring-like) material. These compact remnants have high magnetic fields and are misconstrued as magnetars; however, several observational features allow us to distinguish a quark star (left behind by a quark-nova) from a neutron star with high magnetic field. In our model, bursting activity is expected from intermittent accretion events from the surrounding fallback debris leading to X-ray bursts (in the case of a Keplerian ring) or gamma ray bursts (in the case of a co-rotating shell). The details of the spectra are described by a constant background X-ray luminosity from the expulsion of magnetic flux tubes which will be temporarily buried by bursting events caused by accretion of material onto the quark star surface. These accretion events emit high energy photons and heat up the quark star and surrounding debris leading to hot spots which may be observable as distinct blackbodies. Additionally, we explain observed spectral line features as atomic lines from r-process material and explain an observed anti-glitch in an AXP as the transfer of angular momentum from a surrounding Keplerian disk to the quark star.