  I describe a novel phase structure of cold dense baryonic matter predicted in
a hidden local symmetry approach anchored on gauge theory and in a holographic
dual approach based on the Sakai-Sugimoto model of string theory. This new
phase is populated with baryons with half-instanton quantum number in the
gravity sector which is dual to half-skyrmion in gauge sector in which chiral
symmetry is restored while light-quark hadrons are in the color-confined phase.
It is suggested that such a phase that aries at a density above that of normal
nuclear matter and below or at the chiral restoration point can have a drastic
influence on the properties of hadrons at high density, in particular on
short-distance interactions between nucleons, e.g., multi-body forces at short
distance and hadrons -- in particular kaons -- propagating in a dense medium.
Potentially important consequences on the structure of compact stars will be
predicted.
