Superfluid Local Density Approximation: A Density Functional Theory Approach to the Nuclear Pairing Problem

I describe the foundation of a Density Functional Theory approach to include pairing correlations, which was applied to a variety of systems ranging from dilute fermions, to neutron stars and finite nuclei. Ground state properties as well as properties of excited states and time-dependent phenomena can be achieved in this manner within a formalism based on microscopic input.Comment: 12 pages, chapter in "Fifty Years of Nuclear BCS", eds. R.A. Broglia and V.Zelevinsk

Exotic nuclear phases in the inner crust of neutron stars in the light of Skyrme-Hartree-Fock theory

The bottom part of the neutron star crust is investigated using the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock approach with the Coulomb interaction treated beyond the Wigner-Seitz approximation. A variety of nuclear phases is found to coexist in this region. Their stability and relative energies are governed by the Coulomb, surface and shell energies. We have also found that a substantial contribution is coming from the spin-orbit interaction.Comment: 4 pages, 1 eps figure, Talk at the 17th Nuclear Physics Divisional Conference of the EPS: Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics, Debrecen, Hungary, Sept. 30 - Oct. 4, 200