Zero-temperature thermodynamics of dense asymmetric strong-interaction matter

Employing constraints derived from the microscopic theory of the strong interaction, we estimate the zero-temperature phase structure of dense isospin-asymmetric matter with two quark flavors. We find indications that strong-interaction matter along trajectories relevant for astrophysical applications undergoes a first-order phase transition from a color-superconducting phase to an ungapped quark-matter phase when the density is increased. Such a phase transition is found to be absent in isospin-symmetric matter. Moreover, by taking into account constraints from $\beta$-equilibrium, charge neutrality, and color neutrality, we provide an estimate for the speed of sound in neutron-star matter. Notably, we observe that the speed of sound in neutron-star matter exceeds the asymptotic value associated with the noninteracting quark gas and even increases towards lower densities across a wide range, in agreement with recent results for isospin-symmetric matter. Considering results from studies based on chiral effective field theory at low densities, our findings suggest the existence of a maximum in the speed of sound for $n/n_0 \lesssim 10$, where $n_0$ is the nuclear saturation density.