PW, Warsaw

Thermodynamic properties of the neutron star crust

The outer layer of a neutron star has a complex structure which depends strongly on the nuclear density. In the inner crust of the star, due to the high density and pressure, a large fraction of neutrons occupies unbound states. Nuclei which are still present are therefore immersed in a neutron gas and form a crystal lattice stabilized by the Coulomb interaction. Since the nuclear matter at these densities is believed to be strongly paired, the specific heat of the system is significantly lowered at temperatures below 1 MeV. We show however that there is a substantial contribution to the specific heat coming from the nuclear collective degrees of freedom.

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