Formation of Nuclear 'Pasta' in Supernovae

Journal Article · Fri Sep 18 04:00:00 EDT 2009 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.103.121101· OSTI ID:21370671

Watanabe, Gentaro ^[1]; Sonoda, Hidetaka ^[2]; Maruyama, Toshiki ^[3]; Sato, Katsuhiko ^[2]; Yasuoka, Kenji ^[4]; Ebisuzaki, Toshikazu ^[5]

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1. CNR INFM-BEC and Department of Physics, University of Trento, 38050 Povo (Italy)
2. Department of Physics, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan)
3. ASRC, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Tokai, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan)
4. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Keio University, Yokohama, 223-8522 (Japan)
5. RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198 (Japan)

In supernova cores, nuclear 'pasta' phases such as a triangular lattice of rodlike nuclei and layered structure of slablike nuclei are considered to exist. However, it is still unclear whether or not they are actually formed in collapsing supernova cores. Using ab initio simulations called quantum molecular dynamics, here we solve this problem by demonstrating that a lattice of rodlike nuclei is formed from a bcc lattice by compression. We also find that, in the transition process, the system undergoes a zigzag configuration of elongated nuclei, which are formed by a fusion of two original spherical nuclei.

• OSTI ID: 21370671
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 103; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
BCC LATTICES
BINARY STARS
CALCULATION METHODS
COMPRESSION
CRYSTAL LATTICES
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
CUBIC LATTICES
ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS
MOLECULAR DYNAMICS METHOD
SIMULATION
STARS
SUPERNOVAE
VARIABLE STARS