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Abstract
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Using the quantum fluid mo del for self-gravi tating quantum plasmas with the Bernoulli pseudopotential method and taking into account the relativistic degeneracy effect, it is shown that gravityinduced large-ampli tude density rarefacti on solitons can exist in gravitationally balanced quantum
plasmas. These nonlinear solitons are generated due to the force imbalance between the gravity and
the quantum fluid pressure via local density perturbations, similar to that on shallow waters. It is
found that both the fluid mass-den sity and the atomic-numb er of the constituent ions have signifi cant effect on the amplitude and width of these solitonic profiles. Existence of a large-scale gra vity-induced solitonic activities on neutron- star surface, for instance, can be a possible explanation
for the recently proposed reso nant shattering mechani sm [D. Tsang et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 108,
011102 (2012)] causing the intense short gamma ray burst phenomenon, in which release of
’1046–1047 ergs would be possible from the surface. The resonant shattering of the crust in a neutron star has been previously attributed to the crust-core interface mode and the tidal surface tensions. We believe that current model can be a more natural explanation for the energy liberation by
solitonic activities on the neutron star surfaces, without a requirement for external mergers like
other neutron stars or black holes for the crustal shatter.
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