The Skyrme model is a low energy, effective field theory for QCD which when coupled to a gravitational field provides an ideal semi-classical model to describe neutron stars. We use the Skyrme crystal solution composed of a lattice of $alpha$-like pa
rticles as a building block to construct minimum energy neutron star configurations, allowing the crystal to be strained anisotropically. We find that below 1.49 solar masses the stars crystal deforms isotropically and that above this critical mass, it undergoes anisotropic strain. We then find that the maximum mass allowed for a neutron star is 1.90 solar masses, in close agreement with a recent observation of the most massive neutron star yet found. The radii of the computed solutions also match the experimentally estimated values of approximately 10km.
We analyse the scattering of sine-Gordon breathers on a square potential well. We show that the scattering process depends not only on the vibration frequency of the breather and its incoming speed but also on its phase as well as the depth and width
of the well. We show that the breather can pass through the well and exit with a speed different, sometime larger, from the initial one. It can also be trapped and very slowly decay inside the well or bounce out of the well and go back to where it came from. We also show that the breather can split into a kink and an anti-kink pair when it hits the well.
