Photon propagation in magnetized dense quark matter. A possible solution for the missing pulsar problem.

In this paper it is reviewed the topological properties and possible astrophysical consequences of a spatially inhomogeneous phase of quark matter, known as the Magnetic Dual Chiral Density Wave (MDCDW) phase, that can exist at intermediate baryon density in the presence of a magnetic field. Going beyond mean-field approximation, it is shown how linearly polarized electromagnetic waves penetrating the MDCDW medium can mix with the phonon fluctuations to give rise to two hybridized modes of propagation called as axion polaritons because of their similarity with certain modes found in condensed matter for topological magnetic insulators. The formation of axion polaritons in the MDCDW core of a neutron star can serve as a mechanism for the collapse of a neutron star under the bombardment of the gamma rays produced during gamma ray bursts. This mechanism can provide a possible solution to the missing pulsar problem in the galactic center