Nuclear "pasta" structures in low-density nuclear matter and neutron star crust

TL;DR

This paper investigates the complex nuclear 'pasta' structures in neutron star crusts using 3D simulations based on relativistic mean-field models, revealing various configurations and their potential physical implications.

Contribution

It introduces a fully three-dimensional numerical approach to study nuclear pasta structures in neutron star crusts, providing new insights into their configurations and properties.

Findings

Identification of typical pasta structures at fixed proton fractions

Observation of two pasta configurations in cold catalyzed matter

Discussion of crystalline arrangements of pasta structures

Abstract

In neutron star crust, non-uniform structure of nuclear matter is expected, which is called the "pasta" structure. From the recent studies of giant flares in magnetars, these structures might be related to some observables and physical quantities of the neutron star crust. To investigate the above quantities, we numerically explore the pasta structures with a fully threedimensional geometry and study the properties of low-density nuclear matter, based on the relativistic mean-field model and the Thomas-Fermi approximation. We observe typical pasta structures for fixed proton number-fraction and two of them for cold catalyzed matter. We also discuss the crystalline configuration of "pasta".