English

Superfluidity and entrainment in neutron-star crusts

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena 2012-07-02 v1 Nuclear Theory

Abstract

Despite the absence of viscous drag, the neutron superfluid permeating the inner crust of a neutron star can still be strongly coupled to nuclei due to non-dissipative entrainment effects. Neutron superfluidity and entrainment have been systematically studied in all regions of the inner crust of a cold non-accreting neutron star in the framework of the band theory of solids. It is shown that in the intermediate layers of the inner crust a large fraction of "free" neutrons are actually entrained by the crust. The results suggest that a revision of the interpretation of many observable astrophysical phenomena might be necessary.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1206.6926,
  title  = {Superfluidity and entrainment in neutron-star crusts},
  author = {N. Chamel and J. M. Pearson and S. Goriely},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1206.6926},
  year   = {2012}
}

Comments

4 pages, to appear in the proceedings of the ERPM conference, Zielona Gora, Poland, April 2012