A new equation of state for core-collapse supernovae based on realistic nuclear forces and including a full nuclear ensemble

Abstract

We have constructed a nuclear equation of state (EOS) that includes a full nuclear ensemble for use in core-collapse supernova simulations. It is based on the EOS for uniform nuclear matter that two of the authors derived recently, applying a variational method to realistic two- and there-body nuclear forces. We utilize an extended liquid drop model of heavy nuclei and a quantum-theoretical mass evaluation for light nuclei. In addition to realistic nuclear forces, the inclusion of in-medium effects on the full ensemble of nuclei makes the new EOS one of the most realistic EOS's for supernova simulations. We make comparisons with the FYSS EOS, which is based on the same formulation for the nuclear ensemble but adopts the relativistic mean field (RMF) theory with the TM1 parameter set for uniform nuclear matter. The new EOS is softer than the FYSS EOS around and above nuclear saturation densities. We find that neutron-rich nuclei with small mass numbers are more abundant in the new EOS than in the FYSS EOS because of the larger saturation densities and smaller symmetry energy of nuclei in the former. We apply the two EOS's to 1D supernova simulations and find that the new EOS gives lower electron fractions and higher temperatures in the collapse phase owing to the smaller symmetry energy. As a result, the inner core has smaller masses for the new EOS. It is more compact, on the other hand, due to the softness of the new EOS and bounces at higher densities. The ensuing outward propagations of the shock wave in the outer core are very similar in the two simulations, which may be an artifact, though, caused by the use of the same tabulated electron capture rates for heavy nuclei ignoring differences in the nuclear composition between the two EOS's in these computations.