Magnetic susceptibility and magnetization properties of asymmetric nuclear matter under a strong magnetic field

TL;DR

This paper investigates how strong magnetic fields influence the spin polarization and magnetic susceptibility of asymmetric nuclear matter, revealing significant effects relevant to neutron star crusts and potentially impacting neutron superfluidity.

Contribution

It provides a relativistic mean-field analysis of magnetic susceptibility and polarization in asymmetric nuclear matter under intense magnetic fields, highlighting effects on neutron star crust properties.

Findings

Magnetic fields of 10^{16}-10^{17} G affect nuclear matter density ranges.

Proton susceptibility is larger at weaker fields, but neutron susceptibility increases with stronger fields.

Neutron superfluidity in neutron star crusts may be influenced by magnetic fields.

Abstract

We study the effect of a strong magnetic field on the proton and neutron spin polarization and magnetic susceptibility of asymmetric nuclear matter within a relativistic mean-field approach. It is shown that magnetic fields $B \sim 10^{16} - 10^{17}$ G have already noticeable effects on the range of densities of interest for the study of the crust of a neutron star. Although the proton susceptibility is larger for weaker fields, the neutron susceptibility becomes of the same order or even larger for small proton fractions and subsaturation densities for $B > 10^{16}$ G. We expect that neutron superfluidity in the crust will be affected by the presence of magnetic fields.