What is it about?
Neutron star matter is composed of protons and neutrons varying in relative proportion and at low temperatures they form curious structures known as "nuclear pastas". We study such pasta shapes and find that within those stuctures the nucleons behave as a liquid or as a crystal. This behavior had been observed in nuclear matter and now we see it in neutron star matter. In particular we also study the behavior of the component of the nuclear binding known as "symmetry energy".
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Why is it important?
The role of isospin (relative proportions of neutrons to protons) in the properties of nuclear system is being studied extensively in experimental facilities around the world. Large system can only be attained in the crust of neutron stars. Besides yielding interesting information about the role of isospin in nuclear interactions, our findings are important for the transparency of neutrinos in neutron stars,
Perspectives
This work was presented in the International Nuclear Physics Conference in Glasgow in August 2019. Continuing studies have focused on obtaining the phase diagram of neutron rich nuclear matter.
Dr. Jorge Alberto Lopez
University of Texas at El Paso
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Symmetry energy in neutron star matter, Nuclear Physics A, April 2019, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2019.01.008.
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