Fast neutrino cooling of nuclear pasta in neutron stars: Molecular dynamics simulations

Zidu Lin; Matthew E. Caplan; Charles J. Horowitz; Cecilia Lunardini

doi:10.1103/PhysRevC.102.045801

Fast neutrino cooling of nuclear pasta in neutron stars: Molecular dynamics simulations

Zidu Lin, Matthew E. Caplan, Charles J. Horowitz, Cecilia Lunardini

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

27 Scopus citations

Abstract

The direct Urca process of rapid neutrino emission can occur in nonuniform nuclear pasta phases that are expected in the inner crusts of neutron stars. Here, the periodic potential for a nucleon in nuclear pasta allows momentum conservation to be satisfied for direct Urca reactions. We improve on earlier work by modeling a rich variety of pasta phases (gnocchi, waffle, lasagna, and anti-spaghetti) with large-scale molecular dynamics simulations. We find that the neutrino luminosity due to direct Urca reactions in nuclear pasta can be 3 to 4 orders of magnitude larger than that from the modified Urca process in the NS core. Thus neutrino radiation from pasta could dominate radiation from the core and this could significantly impact the cooling of neutron stars.

Original language	English
Article number	045801
Journal	Physical Review C
Volume	102
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.102.045801
State	Published - 6 Oct 2020
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 American Physical Society.

Funding

Z.L. thanks D. G. Yakovlev and S. P. Harris for helpful discussions. Z.L. and C.L. acknowledge funding from the National Science Foundation Grant No. PHY-1613708. Z.L. acknowledges funding from US Department of Energy Grant No. DE-SC0019470. C.J.H. is supported in part by US Department of Energy Grants No. DE-FG02-87ER40365 and No. DE-SC0018083. This research was supported in part by Lilly Endowment, Inc., through its support for the Indiana University Pervasive Technology Institute, and in part by the Indiana METACyt Initiative. The Indiana METACyt Initiative at IU was also supported in part by Lilly Endowment, Inc. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. CNS-0521433. T.

Funders	Funder number
Indiana METACyt Initiative
Indiana University Pervasive Technology Institute
Lilly Endowment, Inc.
National Science Foundation	PHY-1613708
U.S. Department of Energy	DE-SC0018083, DE-SC0019470, DE-FG02-87ER40365
Lilly Endowment	CNS-0521433

Access to Document

10.1103/PhysRevC.102.045801

Cite this

@article{c930ebc901d140fa8bef1aa381d26490,

title = "Fast neutrino cooling of nuclear pasta in neutron stars: Molecular dynamics simulations",

abstract = "The direct Urca process of rapid neutrino emission can occur in nonuniform nuclear pasta phases that are expected in the inner crusts of neutron stars. Here, the periodic potential for a nucleon in nuclear pasta allows momentum conservation to be satisfied for direct Urca reactions. We improve on earlier work by modeling a rich variety of pasta phases (gnocchi, waffle, lasagna, and anti-spaghetti) with large-scale molecular dynamics simulations. We find that the neutrino luminosity due to direct Urca reactions in nuclear pasta can be 3 to 4 orders of magnitude larger than that from the modified Urca process in the NS core. Thus neutrino radiation from pasta could dominate radiation from the core and this could significantly impact the cooling of neutron stars.",

author = "Zidu Lin and Caplan, {Matthew E.} and Horowitz, {Charles J.} and Cecilia Lunardini",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 American Physical Society.",

year = "2020",

month = oct,

day = "6",

doi = "10.1103/PhysRevC.102.045801",

language = "אנגלית",

volume = "102",

journal = "Physical Review C",

issn = "2469-9985",

publisher = "American Physical Society",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Fast neutrino cooling of nuclear pasta in neutron stars

T2 - Molecular dynamics simulations

AU - Lin, Zidu

AU - Caplan, Matthew E.

AU - Horowitz, Charles J.

AU - Lunardini, Cecilia

PY - 2020/10/6

Y1 - 2020/10/6

N2 - The direct Urca process of rapid neutrino emission can occur in nonuniform nuclear pasta phases that are expected in the inner crusts of neutron stars. Here, the periodic potential for a nucleon in nuclear pasta allows momentum conservation to be satisfied for direct Urca reactions. We improve on earlier work by modeling a rich variety of pasta phases (gnocchi, waffle, lasagna, and anti-spaghetti) with large-scale molecular dynamics simulations. We find that the neutrino luminosity due to direct Urca reactions in nuclear pasta can be 3 to 4 orders of magnitude larger than that from the modified Urca process in the NS core. Thus neutrino radiation from pasta could dominate radiation from the core and this could significantly impact the cooling of neutron stars.

AB - The direct Urca process of rapid neutrino emission can occur in nonuniform nuclear pasta phases that are expected in the inner crusts of neutron stars. Here, the periodic potential for a nucleon in nuclear pasta allows momentum conservation to be satisfied for direct Urca reactions. We improve on earlier work by modeling a rich variety of pasta phases (gnocchi, waffle, lasagna, and anti-spaghetti) with large-scale molecular dynamics simulations. We find that the neutrino luminosity due to direct Urca reactions in nuclear pasta can be 3 to 4 orders of magnitude larger than that from the modified Urca process in the NS core. Thus neutrino radiation from pasta could dominate radiation from the core and this could significantly impact the cooling of neutron stars.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85094135373&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevC.102.045801

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevC.102.045801

M3 - ???researchoutput.researchoutputtypes.contributiontojournal.article???

AN - SCOPUS:85094135373

SN - 2469-9985

VL - 102

JO - Physical Review C

JF - Physical Review C

IS - 4

M1 - 045801

ER -

Fast neutrino cooling of nuclear pasta in neutron stars: Molecular dynamics simulations

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this