Is the magnetic field making the inner crust of neutron stars more heterogeneous?

Abstract

We study the effect of strong magnetic fields, of the order of $10^{15}-10^{17}$ G, on the extension of the crust of magnetized neutron stars. The dynamical instability region of neutron-proton-electron ($npe$) matter at subsaturation densities and the mode with the largest growth rate are determined within a relativistic mean field model. It is shown that a strong magnetic field has a large effect on the instability region, defining the crust-core transition as a wide density range.

Comments: 5 pages, 2 figures. Figures 2 have been changed and the corresponding discussion completed. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. C as Rapid Communication