Magnetized Coulomb crystals in neutron star crusts

Abstract

We investigate the properties of magnetized Coulomb crystals in neutron star crusts using a fully three-dimensional geometry with periodic boundary conditions. The electron density profiles are fixed via the Thomas-Fermi approximation, and the nonuniform magnetic fields are treated with the equivalent magnetic charge method. The study focuses on Coulomb crystals composed of $^{12}$C at an ion number density $n_d = 10^{-9}\ \text{fm}^{-3}$, subjected to various external magnetic fields. Nuclei are described by a Gaussian wave function, where the width $b$ encapsulates the effects of zero-point ion vibrations and finite temperature. Our findings show that the crystal softens as $b$ increases. The Madelung constant $K_M$ fluctuates with the external magnetic field $B_{z0}$ at $B_{z0}\leq 3\times 10^{14}$ G. At higher field strengths, $K_M$ increases until $B_{z0} \approx 3\times 10^{15}$ G and then decreases. The body-centered cubic (BCC) lattice is slightly more stable than the face-centered cubic (FCC) lattice when $B_{z0} < 3\times 10^{15}$ G, whereas the FCC lattice may become more stable at larger $B_{z0}$. The elastic constants $c_{11}-c_{12}$ and $c_{44}$ are computed and tabulated, which grow with $B_{z0}$ for $3\times 10^{14}\ \mathrm{G}\lesssim B_{z0}\lesssim 2\times 10^{15}$ G and then decline toward zero as the field strength increases further. For $B_{z0}\gtrsim 10^{16}$ G, it becomes difficult to identify a stable lattice structure. These results provide valuable insights into the role of strong magnetic fields in shaping the properties of Coulomb crystals in compact stars.