Color Superconductivity in Compact Stars and Gamma Ray Bursts

We study the effects of color superconductivity on the structure and formation of compact stars. We find that a huge amount of energy, of the order of 1053 erg, can be released in the conversion from a (metastable) hadronic star into a (stable) hybrid or quark star. If the conversion takes place immediately after the deleptonization of the proto‐neutron star, the released energy can help Supernovae to explode. If the conversion is delayed the energy released can power a Gamma Ray Burst. A delay between the Supernova and the subsequent Gamma Ray Burst is possible, in agreement with the delays proposed in recent analysis of astrophysical data.