A New Study of the Transition to Uniform Nuclear Matter in Neutron Stars and Supernovae

TL;DR

This paper investigates the microscopic properties of bulk matter near nuclear saturation density, relevant to neutron star crusts and supernova core collapse, providing preliminary results on its behavior at various temperatures and neutron fractions.

Contribution

It offers a new comprehensive microscopic analysis of matter properties in neutron star crusts and supernova cores at different densities and temperatures.

Findings

Properties of bulk matter near nuclear saturation density are characterized.

Preliminary results indicate specific behaviors at various temperatures and neutron fractions.

Insights into the transition to uniform nuclear matter in astrophysical environments.

Abstract

A comprehensive microscopic study of the properties of bulk matter at densities just below nuclear saturation $\rho_s = 2.5 \sim 10^{14}$ g cm$^{-3}$, zero and finite temperature and high neutron fraction, is outlined, and preliminary results presented. Such matter is expected to exist in the inner crust of neutron stars and during the core collapse of massive stars with $M \gtrsim 8M_{\odot}