We propose a physically transparent analytic model of astrophysical S-factors as a function of a center-of-mass energy E of colliding nuclei (below and above the Coulomb barrier) for non-resonant fusion reactions. For any given reaction, the S(E)-mod
el contains four parameters [two of which approximate the barrier potential, U(r)]. They are easily interpolated along many reactions involving isotopes of the same elements; they give accurate practical expressions for S(E) with only several input parameters for many reactions. The model reproduces the suppression of S(E) at low energies (of astrophysical importance) due to the shape of the low-r wing of U(r). The model can be used to reconstruct U(r) from computed or measured S(E). For illustration, we parameterize our recent calculations of S(E) (using the Sao Paulo potential and the barrier penetration formalism) for 946 reactions involving stable and unstable isotopes of C, O, Ne, and Mg (with 9 parameters for all reactions involving many isotopes of the same elements, e.g., C+O). In addition, we analyze astrophysically important 12C+12C reaction, compare theoretical models with experimental data, and discuss the problem of interpolating reliably known S(E) values to low energies (E <= 2-3 MeV).
We calculate the shear viscosity $eta = eta_{emu}+eta_{n}$ in a neutron star core composed of nucleons, electrons and muons ($eta_{emu}$ being the electron-muon viscosity, mediated by collisions of electrons and muons with charged particles, and $eta
_{n}$ the neutron viscosity, mediated by neutron-neutron and neutron-proton collisions). Deriving $eta_{emu}$, we take into account the Landau damping in collisions of electrons and muons with charged particles via the exchange of transverse plasmons. It lowers $eta_{emu}$ and leads to the non-standard temperature behavior $eta_{emu}propto T^{-5/3}$. The viscosity $eta_{n}$ is calculated taking into account that in-medium effects modify nucleon effective masses in dense matter. Both viscosities, $eta_{emu}$ and $eta_{n}$, can be important, and both are calculated including the effects of proton superfluidity. They are presented in the form valid for any equation of state of nucleon dense matter. We analyze the density and temperature dependence of $eta$ for different equations of state in neutron star cores, and compare $eta$ with the bulk viscosity in the core and with the shear viscosity in the crust.
We compare Path Integral Monte Carlo calculations by Militzer and Pollock (Phys. Rev. B 71, 134303, 2005) of Coulomb tunneling in nuclear reactions in dense matter to semiclassical calculations assuming WKB Coulomb barrier penetration through the rad
ial mean-field potential. We find a very good agreement of two approaches at temperatures higher than ~1/5 of the ion plasma temperature. We obtain a simple parameterization of the mean field potential and of the respective reaction rates. We analyze Gamow-peak energies of reacting ions in various reaction regimes and discuss theoretical uncertainties of nuclear reaction rates taking carbon burning in dense stellar matter as an example.
We calculate the thermal conductivity of electrons and muons kappa_{e-mu} produced owing to electromagnetic interactions of charged particles in neutron star cores and show that these interactions are dominated by the exchange of transverse plasmons
(via the Landau damping of these plasmons in nonsuperconducting matter and via a specific plasma screening in the presence of proton superconductivity). For normal protons, the Landau damping strongly reduces kappa_{e-mu} and makes it temperature independent. Proton superconductivity suppresses the reduction and restores the Fermi-liquid behavior kappa_{e-mu} ~ 1/T. Comparing with the thermal conductivity of neutrons kappa_n, we obtain kappa_{e-mu}> kappa_n for T>2 GK in normal matter and for any T in superconducting matter with proton critical temperatures T_c>3e9 K. The results are described by simple analytic formulae.
