In the present paper we explore the neutron-drip region of cold non-rotating isolated neutron stars. We have performed extended nuclear-structure calculations for nuclei embedded in the electron gas. For modeling the outer crust we use a set of Wigner-Seitz cells, where every cell contains one nucleus surrounded by a cloud of relativistic electrons. Above the drip point a non-relativistic neutron gas occurs in the cell. These calculations are carried out within the Hartree-Fock approach in combination with Skyrme effective interactions. For every baryon density we have determined the configuration with a minimal total energy. The drip elements and corresponding drip densities have been determined for about 240 different parametrizations of Skyrme forces used in the literature. We demonstrate that the calculated drip-point densities depend essentially on the Skyrme parametrization used. Even the drip elements and the occupied shells in the drip region differ for different parametrizations. We have found that the number of neutrons building the neutron gas at the drip point also depends essentially on the Skyrme force chosen. Nevertheless, the number density of the neutron gas in the drip-region is more or less the same ($\sim 10^{-5} \frac{neutrons}{{fm}^{3}}$). The drip densities obtained within our approach are generally lower than predicted earlier.
A semi-microscopic self-consistent quantum approach developed recently to describe the inner crust structure of neutron stars within the Wigner-Seitz method with the explicit inclusion of neutron and proton pairing correlations is used for finding the neutron drip point which separates the outer and inner crusts. The equilibrium configurations of the crust are examined in vicinity of the drip point and in the upper part of the inner crust, for the density region corresponding to average Fermi momenta $k_{\rm F}{=}0.2 ÷0.5 $fm$^{-1}$.
We calculate positions of one- and two-particle, proton and neutron drip lines within the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov theory using Skyrme interaction. We also determine an approximate $r$-process path defined as a line where the neutron binding energy is equal to 2~MeV. A weakening of the nuclear shell structure at drip lines is found and interpreted as resulting from a coupling with continuum states.
We introduce a local-scaling point transformation to allow for modifying the asymptotic properties of the deformed three-dimensional Cartesian harmonic oscillator wave functions. The resulting single-particle bases are very well suited for solving the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov equations for deformed drip-line nuclei. We then present results of self-consistent calculations performed for the Mg isotopes and for light nuclei located near the two-neutron drip line. The results suggest that for all even-even elements with $Z$=10--18 the most weakly-bound nucleus has an oblate ground-state shape.
Exotic and drip-line nuclei as well as nuclei immersed in a low density gas of neutrons in the outer crust of neutron stars are systematically investigated with respect to their neutron pairing properties. This is done using Skyrme density-functional and different pairing forces such as a density-dependent contact interaction and a separable form of a finite-range Gogny interaction. Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov and BCS theories are compared. It is found that neutron pairing is reduced towards the drip line while overcast by strong shell effects. Furthermore resonances in the continuum can have an i…
Using HF+BCS method with Skyrme forces we analyze the neutron drip line. It is shown that around magic and new magic numbers the drip line may form stability peninsulas. It is shown the location of these peninsulas does not depend on the choice of Skyrme forces. It is found that the size of the peninsulas is sensitive to the choice of Skyrme forces and the most extended peninsulas appear with the SkI2 set.
For axially symmetric even-even nuclei, we solve the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) equations on a 2-D grid in cylindrical coordinates. The Skyrme SLy4 interaction is used for the mean field and a zero-range interaction for the pairing field. After decoupling the HFB lattice equations, we obtain quasiparticle states with equivalent single-particle energies up to 100 MeV or more. We present results for the Krypton isotope chain up to the two-neutron dripline, including two-neutron separation energies, pairing gaps, and quadrupole deformations for the ground states and isomeric minima.
After a brief review of the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov method with Skyrme effective interactions, we show how it can be applied to the description of various nuclear systems, from finite nuclei to neutron-star crusts.
We study the effects of the symmetry energy on the neutron drip density and properties of nuclei in neutron star crusts. The nonuniform matter around the neutron drip point is calculated by using the Thomas--Fermi approximation with the relativistic mean-field model. The neutron drip density and the composition of the crust are found to be correlated with the symmetry energy and its slope. We compare the self-consistent Thomas--Fermi approximation with other treatments of surface and Coulomb energies and find that these finite-size effects play an essential role in determining the equilibrium …
The equation of state and composition of the inner crust of neutron stars at zero temperature are calculated, using the T = 0 version of the TETFSI (temperature-dependent extended Thomas-Fermi plus Strutinsky integral) method, for each of a family of three functionals based on Skyrme-type forces BSk19, BSk20 and BSk21, which are characterized by different degrees of symmetry-energy stiffness, and also for the SLy4 functional. We also solve the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equations to calculate the distribution of mass within the inner crust. Qualitatively similar results are found for all four …
The outer layers of a neutron star are supposed to be formed of a solid Coulomb lattice of neutron rich nuclei. At densities above neutron drip density (about one thousandth of nuclear saturation density), this lattice is immersed in a neutron fluid. Bragg scattering of those dripped neutrons by the nuclei which has been usually neglected is investigated, within a simple mean field model with Bloch type boundary conditions. The main purpose of this work is to provide some estimates for the entrainment coefficients, as required for hydrodynamical two fluid simulations of neutron star crust, whi…
The mass, radius and crustal fraction of moment of inertia in neutron stars are calculated using $β$-equilibrated nuclear matter obtained from Skyrme effective interaction. The transition density, pressure and proton fraction at the inner edge separating the liquid core from the solid crust of the neutron stars are determined from the thermodynamic stability conditions using the KDE0v1 set. The neutron star masses obtained by solving the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equations using neutron star matter obtained from this set is able to describe highly massive compact stars $\sim$2$M_{\odot}$. The…
The neutron-drip transition in the dense matter constituting the interior of neutron stars generally refers to the appearance of unbound neutrons as the matter density reaches some threshold density $ρ_\textrm{drip}$. This transition has been mainly studied under the cold catalyzed matter hypothesis. However, this assumption is unrealistic for accreting neutron stars. After examining the physical processes that are thought to be allowed in both accreting and nonaccreting neutron stars, suitable conditions for the onset of neutron drip are derived and general analytical expressions for the neut…
To describe the yrast states in weakly bound nuclei, I directly solve the coordinate-space cranked Skyrme-Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov equation on a three-dimensional lattice with the continuum states discretized in a box. After the numerical demonstration for the ground-state band in a medium-mass nucleus, I apply the newly-developed method to neutron-rich even-$N$ Mg isotopes. I find that the appearance of the significantly low $I^π=2^+$ state in $^{40}$Mg is mainly due to the suppression of pairing. The calculation predicts that the $2^+$ state in $^{42}$Mg appears as high in energy as in $^{34\…
The structure of Ne, Na, Mg, Al, Si and S nuclei near the neutron drip-line region is investigated in the frame-work of relativistic meannfield (RMF) and non-relativistic Skyrme Hartree-Fock formalisms. The drip-line of these nuclei are pointed out. We analysed the large deformation structures and many of these neutron rich nuclei are quite deformed. New magic number are seen for these deformed nuclei.
The effects of an additional $K^-$ meson on the neutron and proton drip lines are investigated within Skyrme-Hartree-Fock approach combined with a Skyrme-type kaon-nucleon interaction. While an extension of the proton drip line is observed due to the strongly attractive $K^-p$ interaction, contrasting effects (extension and reduction) on the neutron drip line of Be, O, and Ne isotopes are found. The origin of these differences is attributed to the behavior of the highest-occupied neutron single-particle levels near the neutron drip line.
The bottom part of the neutron star crust is investigated using the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock approach with the Coulomb interaction treated beyond the Wigner-Seitz approximation. A variety of nuclear phases is found to coexist in this region. Their stability and relative energies are governed by the Coulomb, surface and shell energies. We have also found that a substantial contribution is coming from the spin-orbit interaction.
Starting from HFB-6, we have constructed a new mass table, referred to as HFB-8, including all the 9200 nuclei lying between the two drip lines over the range of Z and N > 6 and Z < 122. It differs from HFB-6 in that the wave function is projected on the exact particle number. Like HFB-6, the isoscalar effective mass is constrained to the value 0.80 M and the pairing is density independent. The rms errors of the mass-data fit is 0.635 MeV, i.e. better than almost all our previous HFB mass formulas. The extrapolations of this new mass formula out to the drip lines do not differ significantly fr…
The goal of this paper is to investigate properties of clusterized nuclear matter which is believed to be present in crusts of neutron stars at subnuclear densities. It is assumed that the whole system can be represented by the set of Wigner-Seitz cells, each containing a nucleus and an electron background under the condition of electroneutrality. The nuclear structure calculations are performed within the relativistic mean-field model with the NL3 parametrization. The first set of calculations is performed assuming the constant electron background. The evolution of neutron and proton density …
Shell effects in nuclei close to the neutron-drip lines have been investigated. It has been demonstrated in the relativistic mean-field theory that nuclei very far from stability manifest the shell effects strongly. This behaviour is in accord with the predictions of nuclear masses in the finite-range droplet model including shell corrections. As a consequence we find a large neutron halo in nuclei near the neutron-drip line. The shell effects predicted in the existing Skyrme mean-field theory in comparison are significantly weaker than those of the other approaches.
With the improved accuracy of neutron star observational data, it is necessary to derive new equation of state where the crust and the core are consistently calculated within a unified approach. For this purpose we describe non-uniform matter in the crust of neutron stars employing a compressible liquid-drop model, where the bulk and the neutron fluid terms are given from the same model as the one describing uniform matter present in the core. We then generate a set of fifteen unified equations of state for cold catalyzed neutron stars built on realistic modelings of the nuclear interaction, w…
To search for new candidates of the true and simultaneous two-proton ($2p$) radioactivity, the $2p$ decay energies (\textit{Q}$_{2p}$) are extracted by the Weizsäcker-Skyrme-4 (WS4) model, the finite-range droplet model (FRDM), the Kourra-Tachibaba-Uno-Yamada (KTUY) model and the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov mean-field model with the BSk29 Skyrme interaction (HFB29). Then, the $2p$ radioactivity half-lives are calculated within the generalized liquid drop model (GLDM) by inputting the four types of \textit{Q}$_{2p}$ values. By the energy and half-life constraints, it is found that the probable $2p$…
The Skyrme model and its generalisations provide a conceptually appealing field-theory basis for the description of nuclear matter and, after its coupling to gravity, also of neutron stars. In particular, a specific Skyrme submodel, the so-called Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield (BPS) Skyrme model, allows both for an exact field-theoretic and a mean-field treatment of neutron stars, as a consequence of its perfect fluid property. A pure BPS Skyrme model description of neutron stars, however, only describes the neutron star core, by construction. Here we consider different possibilities to extrap…
We have developed a new HFB code that specifically addresses nuclear structure physics near the driplines. The HFB equations are solved on a two-dimensional lattice for axially symmetric even-even nuclei using B-Spline techniques. The quasiparticle energy spectrum is obtained by direct diagonalization of the HFB lattice Hamiltonian with LAPACK. The energy spectrum extends high into the continuum, up to several thousand MeV. Calculations with Skyrme forces and (density-dependent) delta pairing interactions are now underway.
The transition density and current provide valuable insight into the nature of nuclear vibrations. Nuclear vorticity is a quantity related to the transverse transition current. In this work, we study the evolution of the strength distribution, related to density fluctuations, and the vorticity strength distribution, as the neutron drip line is approached. Our results on the isoscalar, natural-parity multipole response of Ni isotopes, obtained by using a self-consistent Skyrme-Hartree-Fock + Continuum RPA model, indicate that, close to the drip line, the low-energy response is dominated by L>1 …
On the basis of the cranked Skyrme-Hartree-Fock calculations in the three-dimensional coordinate-mesh representation, we suggest that, in addition to the well-known candidate 32S, the neutron-rich nucleus 36S and the drip-line nuclei,48S and 50S, are also good candidates for finding superdeformed rotational bands in Sulfur isotopes. Calculated density distributions for the superdeformed states in 48S and 50S exhibit superdeformed neutron skins
The inner layers of a neutron star crust, composed of a Coulomb lattice of neutron rich nuclear clusters immersed in a sea of ``free'' superfluid neutrons, are closely analogous to periodic condensed matter systems such as electronic, photonic or phononic crystals. Applying methods from solid state physics to the neutron star context, we study the transport properties of those ``free'' neutrons for the outermost layers of the inner crust, near the drip point $ρ_{\rm drip} \sim 4\times 10^{11}$ g.cm$^{-3}$. In particular, we evaluate the effective neutron mass resulting from Bragg scattering by…
The recently observed weakly-bound 39Na provides a stringent theoretical constraint on the neutron drip-line. We studied the properties of drip-line nuclei around 39Na with the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov method and various Skyrme interactions. We adopted the extended SkM*-ext1 parameterization which can properly describe two-neutron separation energies of oxygen and fluorine isotopes and deformations at the center of the "island of inversion". Systematic calculations of drip lines of O, F, Ne, Na, Mg, and Al isotopes have been performed. We infer that 42Mg is weakly bound and 45Al is less weakly …
We describe the first version (v1.00) of the code HFBRAD which solves the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock or Skyrme-Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov equations in the coordinate representation within the spherical symmetry. A realistic representation of the quasiparticle wave functions on the space lattice allows for performing calculations up to the particle drip lines. Zero-range density-dependent interactions are used in the pairing channel. The pairing energy is calculated by either using a cut-off energy in the quasiparticle spectrum or the regularization scheme proposed by A. Bulgac and Y. Yu.
In order to study structure of the crust in neutron stars, we develop a finite-temperature Skyrme-Hartree-Fock method in the full three-dimensional coordinate space using the Fermion operator expansion method. It provides us with a possible order-N approach to non-uniform neutron-star matters.
The Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) equations in coordinate representation are solved exactly, i.e., with correct asymptotic boundary conditions for the continuous spectrum. The calculations are preformed with effective Skyrme interactions. The exact HFB solutions are compared with HFB calculations based on box boundary conditions and with resonant continuum Hartree-Fock-BCS (HF-BCS) results. The comparison is done for the neutron-rich Ni isotopes. It is shown that close to the drip line the amount of pairing correlations depends on how the continuum coupling is treated. On the other hand, the r…
The structure of Ne, Na, Mg, Al, Si, P and S nuclei near the neutron drip-line region is investigated in the frame-work of relativistic mean field theory and non-relativistic Skyrme Hartree-Fock formalism. The recently discovered nuclei $^{40}$Mg and $^{42}$Al, which are beyond the drip-line predicted by various mass formulae are located within these models. We find many largely deformed neutron-rich nuclei, whose structures are analyzed. From the structure anatomy, we find that at large deformation, low $Ω$ orbits of opposite parities (e.g. $\frac{1}{2}^+$ and $\frac{1}{2}^-$) occur close to …
Finite-temperature Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov theory using Skyrme interactions and Relativistic Hartree-Fock effective Lagrangians, predicts $^{48}$Ni as being a possible candidate for the finite temperature pairing re-entrance phenomenon. For this proton-drip-line nucleus, proton resonant states are expected to contribute substantially to pairing correlations and the two predicted critical temperatures are $T_{c1}\sim 0.08-0.2$~MeV and $T_{c2}\sim 0.7-0.9$~MeV. It is also shown that pairing re-entrance modifies the proton single particle energies around the Fermi level, as well as occupation num…
We consider how superfluidity of dripped neutrons in the crust of a neutron star affects the frequencies of the crust's fundamental torsional oscillations. A nonnegligible superfluid part of dripped neutrons, which do not comove with nuclei, act to reduce the enthalpy density and thus enhance the oscillation frequencies. By assuming that the quasi-periodic oscillations observed in giant flares of soft gamma repeaters arise from the fundamental torsional oscillations and that the mass and radius of the neutron star is in the range of 1.4 < M/M_SUN < 1.8 and 10 km < R < 14 km, we constrain the d…
The properties of the outer crust of non-accreting cold neutron stars are studied by using modern nuclear data and theoretical mass tables updating in particular the classic work of Baym, Pethick and Sutherland. Experimental data from the atomic mass table from Audi, Wapstra, and Thibault of 2003 is used and a thorough comparison of many modern theoretical nuclear models, relativistic and non-relativistic ones, is performed for the first time. In addition, the influences of pairing and deformation are investigated. State-of-the-art theoretical nuclear mass tables are compared in order to check…
We describe the program HFBTHO for axially deformed configurational Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov calculations with Skyrme-forces and zero-range pairing interaction using Harmonic-Oscillator and/or Transformed Harmonic-Oscillator states. The particle-number symmetry is approximately restored using the Lipkin-Nogami prescription, followed by an exact particle number projection after the variation. The program can be used in a variety of applications, including systematic studies of wide ranges of nuclei, both spherical and axially deformed, extending all the way out to nucleon drip lines.
The binary neutron-star merger event, GW170817, has cast a new light on nuclear physics research. Using a neutron-star model that includes a crust equation of state (EoS), we calculate the properties of a 1.4 solar-mass neutron star. The model incorporates more than 200 Skyrme energy density functionals, which describe nuclear matter properties, in the outer liquid core region of the neutron star. We find a power-law relation between the neutron-star tidal deformability, $Λ$, and the neutron-star radius, R. Without an explicit crust EoS, the model predicts smaller R and the difference becomes …
The structure of Wigner-Seitz cells in the inner crust of neutron stars is investigated using a microcospic Hartree-Fock-BCS approach with finite range D1S and M3Y-P4 interactions. Large effects on the densities are found compared to previous predictions using Skyrme interactions. Pairing effects are found to be small, and they are attenuated by the use of finite range interactions in the mean field.
We investigate the possibility of describing triaxial quadrupole deformations for nuclei close to the two-neutron drip line by the Hartree-Fock Bogoliubov method taking into account resonances in the continuum. We use a Skyrme interaction to describe the Hartee-Fock hamiltonian and a density-dependent zero-range interaction to evaluate the pairing field. The mean-field equations are solved in a three-dimensional cubic mesh. We study the stability of the two-neutron separation energies and of the description of the nuclear surface as a function of the number of active mean-field orbitals and of…
We perform the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) calculations for ground states of even Mg isotopes using the Skyrme force and a density-dependent zero-range pairing force. The HFB equation is solved in a three-dimensional cartesian mesh, and a convergence of deformation is carefully examined with respect to a cut-off radius for a check of the calculations. We discuss systematics of the two-neutron separation energy, deformation and root-mean-square radius. We have found that 36,38,40Mg have appreciable static deformation, where 40Mg is a two-neutron drip-line nucleus in our calculation, and the d…
An improved prescription for choosing a transformed harmonic oscillator (THO) basis for use in configuration-space Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) calculations is presented. The new HFB+THO framework that follows accurately reproduces the results of coordinate-space HFB calculations for spherical nuclei, including those that are weakly bound. Furthermore, it is fully automated, facilitating its use in systematic investigations of large sets of nuclei throughout the periodic table. As a first application, we have carried out calculations using the Skyrme Force SLy4 and volume pairing, with exact …
We investigate the microscopic structure of the low-lying isovector-dipole excitation mode in neutron-rich $^{36,38,40}$Mg close to the drip line by means of the deformed quasiparticle-random-phase-approximation employing the Skyrme and the local pairing energy-density functionals. It is found that the low-lying bump structure above the neutron emission-threshold energy develops when the drip line is approached, and that the isovector dipole strength at $E_{x} < 10$ MeV exhausts about $6.0 %$ of the classical Thomas-Reiche-Kuhn dipole sum rule in $^{40}$Mg. We obtained the collective dipole mo…
Properties of the matter in the inner crust of a neutron star are investigated in a Hartree-Fock plus BCS approximation employing schematic effective forces of the type of the Skyrme forces. Special attention is paid to differences between a homogenous and inhomogeneous description of the matter distribution. For that purpose self-consistent Hartree Fock calculations are performed in a spherical Wigner-Seitz cell. The results are compared to predictions of corresponding Thomas Fermi calculations. The influence of the shell structure on the formation of pairing correlations in inhomogeneous mat…
We calculate densities of excited states in the quasiparticle random-phase approximation (QRPA)with Skyrme interactions and volume pairing. We focus on low-energy peaks/bumps in the strength functions of a range of Ca, Ni, and Sn isotopes for J pi = 0+, 1-, and 2+. We define an "emitted-neutron number", which we then use to distinguish localized states from scattering-like states. The degree of delocalization either increases as the neutron-drip line is approached or stays high between the stability line and the drip line. In the 2+ channel of Sn, however, the low-lying states, not even counti…
Low-frequency modes of excitation in deformed neutron-rich nuclei are studied by means of the quasiparticle random-phase approximation on the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov mean field. We investigate the microscopic structure of the soft $K^π=0^{+}$ modes systematically in neutron-rich Magnesium isotopes with $N=22, 24, 26$ and 28 close to the drip line, and it is found that the strong collectivity in $^{34}$Mg and $^{40}$Mg is acquired due to the coherent coupling between the $β$ vibration and the pairing vibration of neutrons. Microscopic structure of the $K^π=2^{+}$ modes changes gradually …
We studied the charge radius, rms radius and neutron skin thickness $Δr_{np}$ in even-even isotopes of Si, S, Ar and Ca and isotones of N =20, 28, 50 and 82. The $Δr_{np}$ in doubly-magic $^{48}$Ca, $^{68}$Ni, $^{120,132}$Sn and $^{208}$Pb nuclei has also been calculated. Theoretical calculations are done with the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov theory with the effective Skyrme interactions. Calculated theoretical estimates are in good agreement with the recently available experimental data. The charge radii for Si, S, Ar and Ca isotopes is observed to be minimum at neutron number N =14. The theoretic…
We have developed a new Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) code which has been specifically designed to study ground state properties of nuclei near the neutron and proton drip lines. The unique feature of our code is that it takes into account the strong coupling to high-energy continuum states, up to an equivalent single-particle energy of 60 MeV. We solve the HFB equations for deformed, axially symmetric even-even nuclei in coordinate space on a 2-D lattice with Basis-Spline methods. For the p-h channel, the Skyrme (SLy4) effective N-N interaction is utilized, and for the p-p and h-h channel we …
We perform a systematic investigation of the chemical composition of the inner crust of a neutron star, using the extended Thomas-Fermi approximation, the Strutinsky integral correction for shell effects, and the BCS approximation for pairing. Fifteen Skyrme functionals were selected, which cover the range of values of important bulk properties of infinite nuclear matter, while also having pure neutron matter (PNM) equation of states (EoS) with varying degrees of stiffness. We find that a functional's low-density PNM EoS is correlated with the number of protons found in the inner crust's nucle…
One-proton and two-proton separation energies are calculated for proton-rich nuclei in the region $ A=41-75 $. The method is based on Skyrme Hartree-Fock calculations of Coulomb displacement energies of mirror nuclei in combination with the experimental masses of the neutron-rich nuclei. The implications for the proton drip line and the astrophysical rp-process are discussed. This is done within the framework of a detailed analysis of the sensitivity of rp process calculations in type I X-ray burst models on nuclear masses. We find that the remaining mass uncertainties, in particular for some …
The neutron pair correlation in nuclei near the neutron drip-line is investigated using the selfconsistent continuum Skyrme-Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov theory formulated with the coordinate-space Green's function technique. Numerical analysis is performed for even-even N = 86 isotones in the Mo-Sn region, where the 3p3/2 and 3p1/2 orbits lying near the Fermi energy are either weakly bound or unbound. The quasiparticle states originating from the l = 1 orbits form resonances with large widths, which are due to the low barrier height and the strong continuum coupling caused by the pair potential. An…
Neutron stars in low-mass binary systems are subject to accretion. The common assumption in studying the properties of the neutron star crust is the fully accreted crust approximation. However, observations of some X-ray transient sources indicate that the original crust has not been completely replaced by accreted material, but is partly composed of the compressed original crust. A two-part (or hybrid) crust made of the original crust that is compressed and of the accreted material crashing onto it was reconstructed as a function of the accretion stage. The differences in the composition and …
We have constructed four new complete mass tables, referred to as HFB-4 to HFB-7, each one including all the 9200 nuclei lying between the two drip lines over the range of Z and N>8 and Z<120. HFB-4 and HFB-5 have the isoscalar effective mass M*_s$ constrained to the value 0.92 M, with the former having a density-independent pairing, and the latter a density-dependent pairing. HFB-6 and HFB-7 are similar, except that M*_s is constrained to 0.8 M. The rms errors of the mass-data fits are 0.680, 0.675, 0.686, and 0.676 MeV, respectively, almost as good as for the HFB-2 mass formula, for which M*…
We use the quasiparticle random phase approximation with a few Skyrme density functionals to calculate strength functions in the Jpi = 0+, 1-, and 2+ channels for even Ca, Ni, and Sn isotopes, from the proton drip line to the neutron drip line. We show where and how low-lying strength begins to appear as N increases. We also exhibit partial energy-weighted sums of the transition strength as functions of N for all nuclei calculated, and transition densities for many of the interesting peaks. We find that low-energy strength increases with N in all multipoles, but with distinctive features in ea…
We study the linear response of the inner crust of neutron stars within the Random Phase Approximation, employing a Skyrme-type interaction as effective interaction. We adopt the Wigner-Seitz approximation, and consider a single unit cell of the Coulomb lattice which constitutes the inner crust, with a nucleus at its center, surrounded by a sea of free neutrons. With the use of an appropriate operator, it is possible to analyze in detail the properties of the vibrations of the surface of the nucleus and their interaction with the modes of the sea of free neutrons, and to investigate the role o…
We investigate the effects of dark matter (DM) on the nuclear equation of state (EoS) and neutron star structure, in the relativistic mean field theory, both in the absence and presence of a crust. The $σ-ω$ model is modified by adding a WIMP-DM component, which interacts with nucleonic matter through the Higgs portal. This model agrees well with previous studies which utilized either a more complicated nuclear model or higher-order terms of the Higgs potential, in that DM softens the EoS, resulting in stars with lower maximum masses. However, instabilities corresponding to negative pressure v…
Using HF+BCS method we study light nuclei with nuclear charge in the range $2 \leq Z \leq 8$ and lying near the neutron drip line. The HF method uses effective Skyrme forces and allows for axial deformations. We find that the neutron drip line forms stability peninsulas at $^{18}$He and $^{40}$C. These isotopes are found to be stable against one neutron emission and possess the highest known neutron to proton ratio in stable nuclei.
We investigate the pairing properties at finite temperature of the Wigner-Seitz cells in the inner crust of a neutron star obtained with the recent Brussels-Montreal Skyrme functional BSk21. In particular we analyze the phenomena of persistence and reentrance of pairing correlations and their impact on the specific heat in the low-density region of the inner crust.
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 that would reproduce all observed and experimental data. The quark-meson coupling model stands out with its natural inclusion of hyperons as dense matter building blocks, and fewer parameters necessary to obtain the nuclear matter equation of state. The latest advances of the QMC model and its application to the neutron star physics will be presented, withi…
