QUANTUM EFFECTS IN DENSE COULOMBIC MATTER - APPLICATION TO THE COOLING OF WHITE-DWARFS

We examine the thermodynamic properties of dense degenerate objects near crystallization. A simple, analytical free energy model is derived, which is found to describe very accurately the properties of quantum objects. A generalized Lindeman criterion is used to derive the melting curve of charged bosons and fermions at finite temperature. Within this model, the melting curve of most dense astrophysical objects is found to be unaffected by quantum effects, but the most massive objects are shown to undergo a Debye-cooling regime long before crystalization sets in.