Cluster formation and dissolution in a generalized relativistic density functional approach for dense matter

The formation and dissolution of clusters in dense matter is described in a generalized relativistic mean-field model with density-dependent nucleon-meson couplings. Nucleons, light clusters and two-body correlations in the continuum are treated as effective degrees of freedom with medium dependent properties. The resulting generalized relativistic density functional successfully describes the transition from clusterized matter at low densities to uniform neutron-proton matter at high densities with the correct low-density limits. The formation of heavy clusters is modeled by employing inhomogeneous calculations in the Thomas-Fermi approximation within spherical Wigner-Seitz cells.