Proto-Neutron Star Cooling with Convection: The Effect of the Symmetry Energy

Understand

We model neutrino emission from a newly born neutron star subsequent to a supernova explosion to study its sensitivity to the equation of state, neutrino opacities, and convective instabilities at high baryon density.

• We find the time period and spatial extent over which convection operates is sensitive to the behavior of the nuclear symmetry energy at and above nuclear density.
• When convection ends within the proto-neutron star, there is a break in the predicted neutrino emission that may be clearly observable.