Anisotropy in cosmic rays from internal transitions in neutron stars
Résumé
We discuss the possibility that some recently measured anisotropic cosmic ray components in the TeV-PeV energy range may be an indication of the ejection of a peculiar type of matter. We present a model where a neutron star internal transition with nuclear deconfinement of the quark content takes place. This catastrophic event may cause a mass ejection process seeding the insterstelar medium with droplets of quark matter, so called nuclearites. Neutralization of these droplets in molecular clouds may drive the anisotropy since quasi-rectilinear trajectories are allowed. Complementary information from current experimental settings on earth or magnetic spectrometers on the ISS may shed light on this exotic form of matter.