Spontaneous Magnetization of Solid Quark-cluster Stars

TL;DR

This paper proposes that ferromagnetism in solid quark-cluster stars' electrons can generate the strong magnetic fields observed in pulsars, linking the star's interior structure to its magnetic properties.

Contribution

It introduces a model where electron ferromagnetism in solid quark-cluster stars explains pulsar magnetic fields, applying Stoner's theory under specific conditions.

Findings

Electrons can spontaneously magnetize in quark-cluster stars.

The resulting magnetic moments can match observed pulsar magnetic fields.

Screened Coulomb interactions enable ferromagnetism in the stellar interior.

Abstract

Pulsar-like compact stars usually have strong magnetic fields, with the strength from $\sim 10^8$ to $\sim 10^{12}$ Gauss on surface. How such strong magnetic fields can be generated and maintained is still an unsolved problem, which is, in principle, related to the interior structure of compact stars, i.e., the equation of state of cold matter at supra-nuclear density. In this paper we are trying to solve the problem in the regime of solid quark-cluster stars. Inside quark-cluster stars, the extremely low ratio of number density of electrons to that of baryons $n_e/n_b$ and the screening effect from quark-clusters could reduce the long-range Coulomb interaction between electrons to short-range interaction. In this case, the Stoner's model could apply, and we find that the condition for ferromagnetism is consistent with that for validity of Stoner's model. Under the screened Coulomb repulsion, the electrons inside the stars could spontaneously magnetized and become ferromagnetic, and hence would contribute non-zero net magnetic momentum to the whole star. We conclude that, for most cases in solid quark-cluster stars, the amount of net magnetic momentum, which is proportional to the amount of unbalanced spins $\xi=(n_+-n_-)/n_e$ and depends on the number density of electrons $n_e=n_++n_-$, could be significant with non-zero $\xi$. The net magnetic moments of electron system in solid quark-cluster stars could be large enough to induce the observed magnetic fields for pulsars with $B\sim 10^{11}$ to $\sim 10^{13}$ Gauss.