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Rapid Cooling of the Neutron Star in Cassiopeia A Triggered by Neutron Superfluidity in Dense Matter

Dany Page, Madappa Prakash, James M. Lattimer, and Andrew W. Steiner
Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 081101 – Published 22 February 2011
Physics logo See Viewpoint: A stellar superfluid

Abstract

We propose that the observed cooling of the neutron star in Cassiopeia A is due to enhanced neutrino emission from the recent onset of the breaking and formation of neutron Cooper pairs in the P23 channel. We find that the critical temperature for this superfluid transition is 0.5×109K. The observed rapidity of the cooling implies that protons were already in a superconducting state with a larger critical temperature. This is the first direct evidence that superfluidity and superconductivity occur at supranuclear densities within neutron stars. Our prediction that this cooling will continue for several decades at the present rate can be tested by continuous monitoring of this neutron star.

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  • Received 29 November 2010

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.081101

© 2011 American Physical Society

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A stellar superfluid

Published 22 February 2011

The rapid cooling of a neutron star signals a superfluid at its core.

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Authors & Affiliations

Dany Page1, Madappa Prakash2, James M. Lattimer3, and Andrew W. Steiner4

  • 1Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico D.F. 04510, Mexico
  • 2Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701-2979, USA
  • 3Department of Physics and Astronomy, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York 11794-3800, USA
  • 4Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics, National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory and, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA

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Issue

Vol. 106, Iss. 8 — 25 February 2011

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