Testing the QGP Star Hypothesis - The oMEGACat BH-2 System as a Candidate Color-Superconducting Quark-Gluon Plasma Star

Sep 15, 2026

The recent discovery of the long-period binary system in the globular cluster ω Centauri, oMEGACat BH-2, enables investigation of compact dark-object nature. The massive, dark companion is inferred to fall in the “mass gap” between neutron stars and canonical stellar-mass black holes. This letter tests whether the companion is a stable, self-bound Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP) star using general-relativistic models with Nonlinear Electrodynamics (NLED) and QCD asymptotic freedom, comparing inferred mass with a QGP mass-radius relation and assessing future astrometric and gravitational-wave discrimination.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

ABSTRACT

1. INTRODUCTION

2. THE OBSERVATIONAL ANCHOR: THE OMEGACAT BH-2 SYSTEM

2.1. Astrometric Measurements

2.2. Orbital Fit

2.3. Companion Mass

3. THE QGP STAR MODEL: A THEORETICAL ALTERNATIVE

3.1. The Modified TOV Equation

arXiv : 2608 .24505v2 [ astro-ph .HE] 5 Sep 2026 Draft version September 9, 2026 Typeset using LATEX twocolumn style in AASTeX631 Testing the QGP Star Hypothesis: The oMEGACat BH-2 System as a Candidate Color-Superconducting Quark-Gluon Plasma Star Herman J. Mosquera Cuesta 1, 2 1 Master Program in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Valencia International University, C/ Pintor Sorolla, 21, 46002, Valencia, Spain 2 Visiting Scientist Colciencias, National Program for Basic Sciences/Space Science, Avenida Calle 26, No. 57-41 Torre 8, Pisos 2-6, Bogota, Colombia. Corresponding author: a ABSTRACT The recent discovery of a long-period binary system in the globular cluster ω Centauri, oMEGACat BH-2 (Whitaker et al. 2026), provides an unprecedented opportunity to probe the true nature of compact dark objects. The system’s massive, dark companion has been inferred to have a mass of 4.4611..2201M⊙ , which places it in the “mass gap” between neutron stars and the canonical stellar-mass black holes. In this Letter, we explore the hypothesis that the oMEGACat BH-2 companion is not a classical black hole, but a stable, self-bound Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP) star, as described by recent general relativistic models that incorporate Nonlinear Electrodynamics (NLED) and the asymptotic freedom of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) (Mosquera Cuesta et al. 2025) . We compare the inferred mass of the companion with the novel Mass-Radius (M-R) relation predicted by the QGP star model. We find that the inferred mass of the ω Centauri object lies squarely within the wide mass spectrum predicted for hypermassive QGP stars (0 to > 7 M⊙ ) . Although this consistency is not enough for claiming evidence, it suggests that oMEGACat BH-2 may be the first observed candidate for a QGP star, representing a stable, non-singular end-state of stellar collapse. We argue that future astrometric monitoring with JWST and radio-telescopes like FAST and SKA can further constrain the oMEGACat BH-2 orbital parameters. Meanwhile, gravitational-wave follow-ups for the f and g modes by observatories like LIGO, VIRGO, KAGRA, LISA, ET and CE can be crucial for distinguishing a classical black hole from the “gravitational eternally collapsing ‘kompact’ object” (GECKO) state of our QGP star model. Keywords: Stellar mass black holes (1611); Black holes (162); Globular star clusters (656); Astrometric binary stars (79); Binary stars (154); Quark stars (3058); Nonlinear electrodynamics; Quantum chromodynamics 1. INTRODUCTION The modern view of astrophysics is built upon the concept of the black hole. However, the singularity theorem predictions of General Relativity (GR) remain a fundamental theoretical challenge (Kerr 2023) . The last decade’s breakthroughs—from the discovery of gravitational waves (Abbott et al. 2016) to the detection of Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP) and light-by-light scattering at the LHC (ATLAS Collaboration 2017; ALICE Collaboration 2020)—provide a powerful motivation torevisit the ultimate state of relativistic gravitational collapse. [a](a herman@icra.it)[ herman@icra.it](a herman@icra.it) We have developed a model of a hypermassive, extremely magnetized QGP star that is supported against collapse by a combination of the repulsive vacuum polarization pressure from Nonlinear Electrodynamics (NLED) and the asymptotic freedom of QCD (Mosquera Cuesta et al. 2025) . This object is self-bound, has a finite radius always exceeding its Schwarzschild radius, and can mimic the gravitational behavior of a black hole. In this paper, we test this hypothesis against the recent observational discovery of a dark, massive companion in the globular cluster ω Centauri. 2. THE OBSERVATIONAL ANCHOR: THE OMEGACAT BH-2 SYSTEM The recent discovery of oMEGACat BH-2 in ω Centauri (Whitaker et al. 2026) is the first astrometric dis- 2 covery of a black hole in a globular cluster. The key observational facts are: 2.1. Astrometric Measurements Using HST and JW

FAQs

What hypothesis does the paper test about the oMEGACat BH-2 companion?

It tests whether the oMEGACat BH-2 companion is a stable, self-bound Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP) star rather than a classical black hole.

How is the companion mass used to evaluate the QGP star model?

The inferred companion mass is compared against the novel QGP star mass-radius relation and the predicted hypermassive QGP mass spectrum.

What observations are proposed to further constrain or distinguish the nature of oMEGACat BH-2?

Future astrometric monitoring with JWST and radio telescopes such as FAST and SKA are proposed, along with gravitational-wave follow-ups for relevant oscillation modes using LIGO, VIRGO, KAGRA, LISA, ET, and CE.

Sep 15, 2026

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