Elasticity of Nuclear Pasta

The elastic properties of neutron star crusts are relevant for a variety of currently observable or near-future electromagnetic and gravitational wave phenomena. These phenomena may depend on the elastic properties of nuclear pasta found in the inner crust. We present large-scale classical molecular...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2018-09, Vol.121 (13), p.132701-132701, Article 132701
Main Authors: Caplan, M E, Schneider, A S, Horowitz, C J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Breaking
Crusts
Deformation mechanisms
Domains
Elastic properties
Elasticity
Gravitational waves
Molecular dynamics
Neutron stars
Neutrons
Pasta
Shear modulus
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Summary:The elastic properties of neutron star crusts are relevant for a variety of currently observable or near-future electromagnetic and gravitational wave phenomena. These phenomena may depend on the elastic properties of nuclear pasta found in the inner crust. We present large-scale classical molecular dynamics simulations where we deform nuclear pasta. We simulate idealized samples of nuclear pasta and describe their breaking mechanism. We also deform nuclear pasta that is arranged into many domains, similar to what is known for the ions in neutron star crusts. Our results show that nuclear pasta may be the strongest known material, perhaps with a shear modulus of 10^{30}  ergs/cm^{3} and a breaking strain greater than 0.1.
ISSN:0031-9007
1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.132701