Abstract
Abstract Neutron tunneling between neutron-rich nuclei in inhomogeneous dense matter encountered in neutron star crusts can release enormous energy on a short timescale to power explosive phenomena in neutron stars. In this work, we clarify aspects of this process that can occur in the outer regions of neutron stars when oscillations or cataclysmic events increase the ambient density. We use a time-dependent Hartree–Fock–Bogoliubov formalism to determine the rate of neutron diffusion and find that large amounts of energy can be released rapidly. The roles of nuclear binding, two-body interaction, and pairing in neutron diffusion times are investigated. We consider a one-dimensional quantum diffusion model and extend our analysis to study the impact of diffusion in three dimensions. We find that these novel neutron transfer reactions can generate energy in the amount of ≃ 1040–1044 erg under suitable conditions and assumptions.
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