On the stability of precessing superfluid neutron stars

TL;DR

This paper investigates a new superfluid instability in mature neutron stars that affects their precession, challenging existing models and complicating efforts to understand their internal structure.

Contribution

It introduces a novel short-wavelength instability in superfluid neutron stars, analogous to turbulence in superfluid Helium, with significant implications for neutron star precession theories.

Findings

Identifies a new superfluid instability in neutron star interiors.

Shows the instability's similarity to turbulence in superfluid Helium.

Highlights the impact on neutron star precession models.

Abstract

We discuss a new superfluid instability occuring in the interior of mature neutron stars with implications for freely precessing neutron stars. This short-wavelength instability is similar to the instability which is responsible for the formation of turbulence in superfluid Helium. Its existence raises serious questions about our understanding of neutron star precession and complicates attempts to constrain neutron star interiors using such observations.