Shear viscosity of $\beta$-stable nuclear matter

TL;DR

This paper calculates the shear viscosity of beta-stable nuclear matter using a consistent dynamical model, revealing the dominant neutron contribution and the increasing importance of electrons above nuclear saturation density.

Contribution

It introduces a novel calculation of shear viscosity in beta-stable matter using correlated basis functions with a unified approach for the equation of state and scattering probabilities.

Findings

Neutron contribution dominates shear viscosity across densities.

Electron contribution becomes significant above nuclear saturation density.

The model provides a consistent framework linking the equation of state and scattering processes.

Abstract

Viscosity plays a critical role in determining the stability of rotating neutron stars. We report the results of a calculation of the shear viscosity of $\beta$~-~stable matter, carried out using an effective interaction based on a state-of-the-art nucleon-nucleon potential and the formalism of correlated basis functions. Within our approach the equation of state, determining the proton fraction, and the nucleon-nucleon scattering probability are consistently obtained from the same dynamical model. The results show that, while the neutron contribution to the viscosity is always dominant, above nuclear saturation density the electron contribution becomes appreciable.