Locating the inner edge of a neutron star crust
| dc.contributor.advisor | Wyngaardt, Shaun M. | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Hillhouse, G. C. | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.author | Van Rooy, Milton William | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.other | University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Science. Dept. of Physics. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2010-11-23T06:54:35Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2010-12-15T10:15:42Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2010-11-23T06:54:35Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2010-12-15T10:15:42Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2010-12 | |
| dc.description | Thesis (MSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The overall goal of this project is to study neutron star properties and locate the transition density from the core to the crust using fifteen parameter sets of the effective Skyrme nucleon-nucleon interaction within a method called the dynamical method. Although another approach used to describe nucleon-nucleon interactions called the modified Gogny interaction is briefly discussed in this work, along with a second method for locating the transition density called the thermodynamical method, results using this interaction and method were not generated, but lays some foundation for a PhD project to be undertaken and potentially showing the relation between the interactions and results. The importance of results depends on how well other theoretical approaches to the problem can reproduce those results and to what accuracy. For models to be valid there also has to be good agreement between the theoretical results and known observables. In this project some properties of neutron stars, such as the equation of state, saturation density, binding energy, symmetry energy, slope and incompressibility parameters of symmetry energy are studied. The transition density is located using the dynamical method. Results of the fifteen Skyrme parameter sets show excellent agreement with the published values of the properties of neutron stars and are consistent with their empirical values inferred from nuclear laboratory data, thus validating the use of the Skyrme interactions for describing nuclear matter. | en |
| dc.description.abstract | AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hoofdoel van hierdie projek is om neutron ster eienskappe te bestudeer en die oorgangsdigtheid vanaf die kors na die kern te vind deur gebruik te maak van vyftien parameter stelle van die effektiewe Skyrme nukleon-nukleon interaksie binne ‘n metode genaamd die dinamiese metode. Alhoewel ‘n ander benadering vir die beskrywing van nukleon-nukleon interaksies, genaamd die gewysigde Gogny interaksie kortliks in hierdie werk beskryf word, asook ‘n tweede metode, genaamd die termodinamiese metode om die oorgangsdigtheid te bepaal, was resultate vir hierdie interaksie en metode nie gegenereer nie, maar l die fondasie vir verdere werk aan ‘n PhD projek wat die verband tussen die twee interaksies en resultate kan wys. Die belangrikheid van resultate hang af van hoe goed ander teoretiese benaderinge tot die problem daardie resultate kan herproduseer en tot watter akkuraatheid. Vir modelle om geldig te wees moet daar ook goeie ooreenkomste wees tussen teoretiese resultate en bekende waarneembare eienskappe. In hierdie projek word sommige eieskappe van neutron sterre, soos die toestandandsvergelyking, versadigingsdigtheid, bindingsenergie, simmetrie-energie, gradiënt en onsaampersbaarheids parameters van die simmetrie-energie bestudeer. Die oorgangsdigtheid word dan gevind deur gebruik te maak van die dinamiese metode. Resultate van die vyftien Skyrme interaksie parameter stelle wys goeie ooreenstemming met die gepubliseerde waardes van die eienskappe van neutron sterre en is konsistent met hulle empiriese waardes afgelei van kern laboratorium data, wat die geldigheid van Skyrme interaksies vir die beskrywing van kernmaterie bevestig. | af |
| dc.format.extent | 65 pages : illustrations | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/5151 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_ZA | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | University of Stellenbosch | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Neutron stars | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Nuclear matter | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Relativistic quantum mechanics | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Quantum field theory | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Theses | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Locating the inner edge of a neutron star crust | en_ZA |