Superfluid heat conduction and the cooling of magnetized neutron stars.
We report on a new mechanism for heat conduction in the neutron star crust. We find that collective modes of superfluid neutron matter, called superfluid phonons, can influence heat conduction in magnetized neutron stars. They can dominate the heat conduction transverse to the magnetic field when the magnetic field B> approximately 10(13) G. At a density of rho approximately 10(12)-10(14) g/cm3, the conductivity due to superfluid phonons is significantly larger than that due to lattice phonons and is comparable to electron conductivity when the temperature approximately 10(8) K. This new mode of heat conduction can limit the surface anisotropy in highly magnetized neutron stars. Cooling curves of magnetized neutron stars with and without superfluid heat conduction could show observationally discernible differences.
Aguilera
Deborah N
DN
Tandar Laboratory, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Avenida Gral. Paz 1499, 1650 San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Cirigliano
Vincenzo
V
Pons
José A
JA
Reddy
Sanjay
S
Sharma
Rishi
R