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Title: Phase diagram of nuclear 'pasta' and its uncertainties in supernova cores

Journal Article · · Physical Review. C, Nuclear Physics
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [3];  [2]
  1. Department of Physics, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan)
  2. Institute of Chemical and Physical Research (RIKEN), Saitama 351-0198 (Japan)
  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Keio University, Yokohama 223-8522 (Japan)

We examine the model dependence of the phase diagram of inhomogeneous nulcear matter in supernova cores using the quantum molecular dynamics (QMD). Inhomogeneous matter includes crystallized matter with nonspherical nuclei--''pasta'' phases--and the liquid-gas phase-separating nuclear matter. Major differences between the phase diagrams of the QMD models can be explained by the energy of pure neutron matter at low densities and the saturation density of asymmetric nuclear matter. We show the density dependence of the symmetry energy is also useful to understand uncertainties of the phase diagram. We point out that, for typical nuclear models, the mass fraction of the pasta phases in the later stage of the collapsing cores is higher than 10-20%.

OSTI ID:
21189872
Journal Information:
Physical Review. C, Nuclear Physics, Vol. 77, Issue 3; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevC.77.035806; (c) 2008 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0556-2813
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English