2009/04/30 by Gentaro Watanabe, Hidetaka Sonoda, Toshiki Maruyama +3 · 123 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Ab initio #Atomic physics #Chemical physics #Condensed matter physics #Fusion #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #Hexagonal lattice #Lattice (music) #Molecular physics #Nuclear physics research studies #Physics #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research #Quantum #Quantum mechanics #Supernova #Zigzag #astro-ph.SR #cond-mat.other #nucl-th
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.103.121101
published in Physical Review Letters 103(12), 121101 (American Physical Society) · 4 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev. Lett. as an Editors' Suggestion
arxiv created 2009/08/27 · openalex publication_date 2009/09/14 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
In supernova cores, nuclear "pasta" phases such as a triangular lattice of rodlike nuclei and layered structure of slablike nuclei are considered to exist. However, it is still unclear whether or not they are actually formed in collapsing supernova cores. Using ab initio simulations called quantum molecular dynamics, here we solve this problem by demonstrating that a lattice of rodlike nuclei is formed from a bcc lattice by compression. We also find that, in the transition process, the system undergoes a zigzag configuration of elongated nuclei, which are formed by a fusion of two original spherical nuclei.