Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 17, 2026

Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses
Published on: June 7, 2018
Disordered nuclear pasta, magnetic field decay, and crust cooling in neutron stars
C J Horowitz1, D K Berry2, C M Briggs1
1Department of Physics and Center for the Exploration of Energy and Matter, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA.
Abstract:
Nuclear pasta, with nonspherical shapes, is expected near the base of the crust in neutron stars. Large-scale molecular dynamics simulations of pasta show long lived topological defects that could increase electron scattering and reduce both the thermal and electrical conductivities. We model a possible low-conductivity pasta layer by increasing an impurity parameter Q_{imp}. Predictions of light curves for the low-mass x-ray binary MXB 1659-29, assuming a large Q_{imp}, find continued late time cooling that is consistent with Chandra observations. The electrical and thermal conductivities are likely related. Therefore, observations of late time crust cooling can provide insight on the electrical conductivity and the possible decay of neutron star magnetic fields (assuming these are supported by currents in the crust).
Related Concept Videos
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Relaxation Processes
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Population Distribution
Nuclear Stability
To hold positively...
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Overview
Atomic Nuclei: Types of Nuclear Relaxation
In spin–lattice or longitudinal relaxation, the excited spins exchange energy with the surrounding lattice as they return to the lower energy level. Among several mechanisms that contribute to spin–lattice relaxation, magnetic dipolar interactions are significant. Here, the excited nucleus transfers...
Atomic Nuclei: Larmor Precession Frequency

