Symmetric and asymmetric nuclear matter in the Thomas-Fermi model at finite temperatures

Abstract

The properties of warm symmetric and asymmetric nuclear matter are investigated in the frame of the Thomas-Fermi approximation using a recent modern parameterization of the effective nucleon-nucleon interaction of Myers and Świa̧tecki. Special attention is paid to the liquid-gas phase transition, which is of special interest in modern nuclear physics. We have determined the critical temperature, critical density and the so-called flash temperature. Furthermore, the equation of state for cold neutron star matter is calculated.