Related papers: Compositional Freeze-Out of Neutron Star Crusts
We show that, in order to determine the equation of state of the inner crust of an accreting neutron star, one should minimize not the Gibbs free energy, as it is generally assumed in the literature, but a different thermodynamic potential…
Atomic nuclei are transformed into each other in the cosmos by nuclear reactions inside stars: -- the process of nucleosynthesis. The basic concepts of determining nuclear reaction rates inside stars and how they manage to burn their fuel…
We study long-term thermal evolution of neutron stars in soft X-ray transients (SXTs), taking the deep crustal heating into account consistently with the changes of the composition of the crust. We collect observational estimates of average…
The interior of a neutron star is expected to exhibit different states of matter. In particular, complex non-spherical configurations known as `pasta' phases may exist at the highest densities in the inner crust, potentially having an…
The mass, radius and crustal fraction of moment of inertia in neutron stars are calculated using $\beta$-equilibrated nuclear matter obtained from Skyrme effective interaction. The transition density, pressure and proton fraction at the…
Neutron stars exhibit magnetic fields and densities far beyond those achievable in terrestrial laboratories, offering a natural probe of strongly interacting matter under extreme conditions. Using observationally anchored mass-radius…
Neutron star crusts are studied using a classical molecular dynamics model developed for heavy ion reactions. After the model is shown to produce a plethora of the so-called "pasta" shapes, a series of techniques borrowed from nuclear…
The current picture of the collapse and explosion of massive stars and the formation of neutron stars is reviewed. According to the favored scenario, however by no means proven and undisputed, neutrinos deposit the energy of the explosion…
We calculate the thermal structure and quiescent thermal luminosity of accreting neutron stars (warmed by deep crustal heating in accreted matter) in soft X-ray transients (SXTs). We consider neutron stars with nucleon and hyperon cores and…
We calculate the nuclear composition of matter in accretion disks surrounding stellar mass black holes as are thought to accompany gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). We follow a mass element in the accretion disk starting at the point of nuclear…
Fusion reactions in the crust of an accreting neutron star are an important source of heat, and the depth at which these reactions occur is important for determining the temperature profile of the star. Fusion reactions depend strongly on…
Recent observations and theoretical investigations of neutron stars indicate that their atmospheres consist not of hydrogen or iron but possibly other elements such as helium. We calculate the ionization and dissociation equilibrium of…
Equilibrium phase diagrams for neutron star matter at subnuclear densities are obtained at zero temperature. Spherical, rod-like and slab-like nuclei as well as spherical and rod-like nuclear bubbles are taken into account by using a…
We consider the production of 2.22 MeV radiation resulting from the capture of neutrons in the atmosphere of the secondary in an X-ray binary system, where the neutrons are produced in the accretion disk around the compact primary star and…
Neutron stars are some of the densest manifestations of massive objects in the universe. They are ideal astrophysical laboratories for testing theories of dense matter physics and provide connections among nuclear physics, particle physics…
In this chapter we discuss some possible physical pictures that describe the constitution of the inner crust of compact objects. Different relativistic models both with constant couplings and density dependent ones are used. We calculate…
The inner crust of a mature neutron star is composed of an elastic lattice of neutron-rich nuclei penetrated by free neutrons. These neutrons can flow relative to the crust once the star cools below the superfluid transition temperature. In…
Background: Neutron stars are astronomical systems with nucleons submitted to extreme conditions. Due to the long range coulomb repulsion between protons, the system has structural inhomogeneities. These structural inhomogeneities arise…
In accreting neutron star X-ray transients, the neutron star crust can be substantially heated out of thermal equilibrium with the core during an accretion outburst. The observed subsequent cooling in quiescence (when accretion has halted)…
Recent years continue to be an exciting time for the neutron star physics, providing many new observations and insights to these natural laboratories of cold dense matter. To describe them, there are many models on the market but still none…