Periodic Box FHNC calculations of neutron star crustal matter. (I)

Neutron star crustal matter, whose properties are relevant in many models aimed at explaining observed astrophysical phenomena, has so far always been studied using a mean field approach. In order to check the results obtained in this way, a sensible next step is to make use of a realistic nuclear potential. The present paper extends the periodic-box Fermi HyperNetted Chain method to include longitudinal-isospin dependence of the correlations, making feasible a study of asymmetric crustal matter. Results are presented for the symmetry energy, the low-density neutron star equation of state and the single particle neutron and proton energies.