Investigation of the inner edge of neutron star crusts: Temperature dependence and related effects

The mutual correlation between the nuclear equation of state (EOS) and the bulk properties of neutron stars (NS) is crucial in probing both of them. Here, we use EOSs of hot npe (npe mu) nuclear matter, based on the density-dependent CDM3Y-Paris nucleon-nucleon interaction in the nonrelativistic Hartree-Fock scheme, to investigate the temperature dependence of the core-crust transition properties under ss equilibrium, at the inner edge of NS. We use four EOSs that provide symmetric nuclear matter saturation incompressibility of 218 and 252 MeV, with two parametrizations of the density dependence of the isovector part of the M3Y force. We found that the softer EOS estimates larger proton fraction in the NS matter and indicates a wider range for direct Urca (DU) cooling process within the core center of NSs. Increasing the temperature decreases the density corresponding to the threshold proton fraction for DU process, increasing the region for the DU process inside NSs. The muons decrease the isospin asymmetry of the npe mu NS matter at its core center, its thermal pressure, and the DU threshold density. The muon fraction slightly changes with temperature. A value of about half the proton fraction is inferred for the ss-stable muon fraction of hot npe mu matter, around the core center. Based on the four considered EOSs, the liquid core-solid crust transition density, pressure, and proton fraction are estimated to increase from (0.54 +/- 0.02)rho(0), 0.36 +/- 0.12 MeV fm(-3), and 0.03, respectively at T = 0 MeV, to (0.85 +/- 0.04)rho(0), 7.36 +/- 0.52 MeV fm(-3), and 0.14, respectively at T = 50 MeV.

Automated summary

The mutual correlation between the nuclear equation of state and the bulk properties of neutron stars is crucial. This study used four different EOSs to investigate the temperature dependence of core-crust transition properties in neutron stars, finding that the softer EOS estimates larger proton fractions and wider ranges for cooling processes as temperature increases.