Magnetar crust electron capture for ^{55}Co and ^{56}Ni

Abstract

Based on the relativistic mean-field effective interaction principle and random phase approximation theory in superstrong magnetic fields (SMFs), we present an analysis of the influence of SMFs on the electron Fermi energy, nuclear blinding energy, single-particle level structure and electron capture for ^{55}Co, and ^{56}Ni by the shell-model Monte Carlo method in the magnetar’s crust. The electron capture rates increase by two orders of magnitude due to an increase in the electron Fermi energy and a change in single-particle level structure by SMFs. Then the rates decrease by more than two orders of magnitude due to an increase in the nuclear binding energy and a reduction in the electron Fermi energy by SMFs.