Nuclear Pasta Matter for Different Proton Fractions

TL;DR

This paper investigates the formation and transition of nuclear pasta phases in dense matter under astrophysical conditions, focusing on how proton fraction and temperature influence the geometries and phase transitions.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of nuclear pasta shapes using Hartree-Fock calculations across different proton fractions and temperatures, highlighting the role of neutron background density.

Findings

Different pasta phases depend on proton fraction and temperature.

Transition to uniform matter varies with neutron background density.

Cooling affects the stability and formation of pasta shapes.

Abstract

Nuclear matter under astrophysical conditions is explored with time-dependent and static Hartree-Fock calculations. The focus is in a regime of densities where matter segregates into liquid and gaseous phases unfolding a rich scenario of geometries, often called nuclear pasta shapes (e.g. spaghetti, lasagna). Particularly the appearance of the different phases depending on the proton fraction and the transition to uniform matter are investigated. In this context the neutron background density is of special interest, because it plays a crucial role for the type of pasta shape which is built. The study is performed in two dynamical ranges, one for hot matter and one at temperature zero to investigate the effect of cooling.