Core-collapse supernova matter: light clusters, pasta phase and phase transitions

TL;DR

This paper investigates the complex phases of matter in core-collapse supernovae, focusing on pasta structures, light clusters, and phase transitions using relativistic mean field models and comparing different computational approaches.

Contribution

It introduces a comparative analysis of TF and CP methods for modeling supernova matter, including effects of light clusters and phase transition densities.

Findings

Differences between TF and CP approximations in predicting pasta phases.

Impact of light clusters on phase transition densities.

Comparison with Skyrme-Hartree-Fock results enhances model validation.

Abstract

The pasta phase in core-collapse supernova matter (finite temperatures and fixed proton fractions) is studied within relativistic mean field models. Two different calculations are used for comparison, the Thomas-Fermi (TF) and the Coexisting Phases (CP) approximations. The effects of including light clusters in nuclear matter and the densities at which the transitions between pasta configurations and to uniform matter occur are also investigated. Finally, a comparison with a finite temperature Skyrme-Hartree-Fock calculation is drawn.