Color-superconducting quark matter may explain stability of massive neutron stars

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Describing matter under extreme conditions, such as those found inside neutron stars, remains an unsolved problem. The density of such matter is equivalent to compressing around 100,000 Eiffel Towers into a single cubic centimeter. In particular, the properties of so-called quark matter—which consists of the universe's fundamental building blocks, the quarks, and may exist in extremely dense regions—play a central role.