1.
Phys Rev Lett
; 98(13): 131102, 2007 Mar 30.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-17501178
ABSTRACT
By constructing an Ising analogue of compact-star matter at subsaturation density we explored the effect of Coulomb frustration on the nuclear liquid-gas phase transition. Our conclusion is twofold. First, the range of temperatures where inhomogeneous phases form expands with increasing Coulomb-field strength. Second, within the approximation of uniform electron distribution, the limiting point upon which the phase-coexistence region ends does not exhibit any critical behavior. Possible astrophysics consequences and thermodynamical connections are discussed.