Thermal and Electric Conductivities of Coulomb Crystals in the Inner Crust of a Neutron Star

Abstract

Thermal and electric conductivities of relativistic degenerate electrons are calculated for the case when electrons scatter by phonons in Coulomb crystals made of spherical finite--size nuclei at densities $10^{11}$~g/cm$^3 < ρ< 10^{14}$~g/cm$^3$, corresponding to the inner crust of a neutron star. In combination with the results of the previous article (for lower $ρ$), simple unified fits are obtained which describe the kinetic coefficients in the range $10^3$~g/cm$^3 < ρ< 10^{14}$~g/cm$^3$, for matter with arbitrary nuclear composition. The results are valid for studying thermal evolution of neutron stars and evolution of their magnetic fields. The difference between the kinetic coefficients in the neutron star crust composed of ground state and accreted matters is analyzed. Thermal drift of the magnetic field in the neutron star crust is discussed.