Quasiparticle model of the quark/gluon plasma in a strong magnetic field

In this paper, I study the effect of a strong magnetic field on the quark/gluon plasma, whose properties are investigated by using a quasiparticle model with effective thermal masses for both the quarks and the gluons. This analysis is performed looking at the perspectives opened by the study of the interior of neutron stars, where large magnetic fields, as high as 10(18) G, might exist; the high densities present in their core might also favor the matter deconfinement. I show that the presence of a large magnetic field has an important influence on the equation of state of the deconfined plasma; the astrophysical relevance of this effect is also discussed, together with the present possibilities to detect a quark matter star.