Thomas-Fermi Calculations of Atoms and Matter in Magnetic Neutron Stars: Effects of Higher Landau Bands

Abstract

view Abstract Citations (28) References (27) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS Thomas-Fermi Calculations of Atoms and Matter in Magnetic Neutron Stars: Effects of Higher Landau Bands Roegnvaldsson, Oe. E. ; Fushiki, I. ; Gudmundsson, E. H. ; Pethick, C. J. ; Yngvason, J. Abstract We calculate the equation of state for cold dense matter in high magnetic fields in the Thomas-Fermi approximation, taking all Landau levels into account. Total energies and chemical potentials for atoms and matter are also calculated, and we present detailed profiles of the electron density as a function of the distance from the atomic nucleus for various values of the magnetic field strength and the total matter density. The profiles show a Landau shell structure, which for iron atoms at low pressure is particularly pronounced for magnetic fields of order 1011 G. In compressed matter this structure is reflected in a high compressibility when the density is such that electrons at the boundary of a unit cell start to occupy a new Landau band. This leads to an oscillatory behavior of the density gradient as a function of depth in the surface layers of magnetic neutron stars. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: October 1993 DOI: 10.1086/173234 Bibcode: 1993ApJ...416..276R Keywords: ATOMIC PROCESSES; DENSE MATTER; EQUATION OF STATE; STARS: MAGNETIC FIELDS; STARS: NEUTRON full text sources ADS | data products CDS (1)