Superfluid Phonons in Neutron Star Core

Abstract

In neutron stars the nuclear asymmetric matter is expected to undergo phase transitions to a superfluid state. According to simple estimates, neutron matter in the inner crust and just below should be in the s-wave superfluid phase, corresponding to the neutron-neutron 1S0 channel. At higher density in the core also the proton component should be superfluid, while in the inner core the neutron matter can be in the 3P2 superfluid phase. Superluidity is believed to be at the basis of the glitches phenomenon and to play a decisive influence on many processes like transport, neutrino emission and cooling, and so on. One of the peculiarity of the superfluid phase is the presence of characteristic collective excitation, the so called ’phonons’, that correspond to smooth modulations of the order parameter and display a linear spectrum at low enough momentum. This paper is a brief review of the different phonons that can appear in Neutron Star superfuid matter and their role in several dynamical processes. Particular emphasis is put on the spectral functions of the different components, that is neutron, protons and electrons, which reveal their mutual influence. The open problems are discussed and indications on the work that remain to be done are given.

Superfluidity and Superconductivity in Neutron Stars

“…The reason for this lies in the fact that superfluidity modifies both transport properties and neutrino emissivities [25], as reviewed by Manuel and Tolos [26]. The role of low-energy collective excitations, so-called phonons, and their theoretical determination are reviewed by Baldo [27].…”