Is the Crust of a Neutron Star an Impurity-free Crystal?

Details Is the Crust of a Neutron Star an Impurity-free Crystal? Is the Crust of a Neutron Star an Impurity-free Crystal?

Sep 1996

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1996apj...468..346d&link_type=abstract

Astrophysical Journal v.468, p.346

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

3

Dense Matter, Stars: Neutron, Diffusion

Scientific paper

To investigate whether the crust of an isolated neutron star consists of a crystal in the lower energy configuration as described by the equations of state (catalyzed matter), we estimate to what extent nuclei of a different nature from the ones predicted by energy-minimization criteria (impurities), relics of a hot phase, are eliminated by ionic diffusion. To this purpose, we discuss diffusion of impurities at high temperature through ˜105 yr of the life of the star, using appropriate thermal history from published cooling calculations, and establish whether they drift along a distance comparable to or smaller than the crustal thickness. Since we expect the results to be sensitive to the cooling history, we consider two different scenarios: a standard and a fast core cooling. As a common result from both scenarios, we find that at sufficiently high density, ions can drift through only a small fraction of the crust's thickness and that therefore most of the crust should be composed of nuclides that have been synthesized locally. As a consequence, a complete equilibration of the system might not always be reached if, at the end of the hot phase, a distribution of several nuclear species exists. On the other hand, impurities in the upper layers of the star's crust have sufficient time to move macroscopically. Here the crust is probably made of a pure lattice, although for fast cooling the thickness of this layer is found to be particularly small. In general, it is found that standard cooling may favor ionic motion, rather than fast core cooling.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Is the Crust of a Neutron Star an Impurity-free Crystal? does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Is the Crust of a Neutron Star an Impurity-free Crystal?, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Is the Crust of a Neutron Star an Impurity-free Crystal? will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1459042