Thermal properties of supernova matter: The bulk homogeneous phase

Understand

We investigate the thermal properties of the potential model equation of state of Akmal, Pandharipande and Ravenhall.

• This equation of state approximates the microscopic model calculations of Akmal and Pandharipande, which feature a neutral pion condensate.
• We treat the bulk homogeneous phase for isospin asymmetries ranging from symmetric nuclear matter to pure neutron matter and for temperatures and densities relevant for simulations of core-collapse supernovae, proto-neutron stars, and neutron star mergers.
• Numerical results of the state variables are compared with those of a typical Skyrme energy density functional with similar properties at nuclear densities, but which differs substantially at supra-nuclear densities.