Researchers from TU Darmstadt and the Niels Bohr Institute have developed a new theoretical model to study the inner crust of neutron stars. Their work, published in Physical Review Letters, reveals that both neutrons and protons can “drip” out of atomic nuclei, stabilizing the formation of nuclear pasta. Previously, it was known that neutrons could drip out, but this research provides the first proof that protons do the same.
The team, led by ELEMENTS’ Principal Investigator Achim Schwenk, focused on the interactions between protons, neutrons, and nucleons in the star’s crust. Their calculations demonstrated that protons, mixed with neutrons, help maintain the strange shapes of nuclear matter, refining the understanding of neutron stars’ composition.
This discovery helps improve theoretical models and allows for better comparisons with astrophysical observations, offering new insights into the mysterious nature of neutron stars.
