Short GRBs and dark matter seeding in neutron stars

We present a mechanism based on internal self-annihilation of dark matter accreted from the galactic halo in the inner regions of neutron stars that may trigger the full or partial conversion into a quark star. We explain how this effect may induce a gamma ray burst that could be classified as short, according to the usual definition based on time duration of the prompt gamma-ray emission. This mechanism differs in many aspects from the most discussed scenario associating short gamma-ray bursts with compact object binary mergers. We list possible observational signatures that should help to distinguish between these two possible classes of progenitors.