Relaxation of the chiral chemical potential in the dense matter of a neutron star

TL;DR

This paper models magnetic field generation in neutron stars through an instability driven by electroweak interactions, deriving a kinetic equation for chiral chemical potential evolution to explain magnetar magnetic fields.

Contribution

It introduces a quantum field theory-based model linking electroweak interactions to magnetic field instability and derives a kinetic equation for chiral chemical potential in neutron star matter.

Findings

Electroweak interactions influence electron helicity in dense matter.

A kinetic equation for chiral chemical potential evolution is formulated.

The model explains magnetic field growth in magnetars.

Abstract

A model of the generation of a magnetic field in a neutron star is developed, based on an instability of the magnetic field caused by the electroweak interaction between electrons and nucleons in nuclear matter. The rate of change of the helicity of the electrons as they scatter on protons in the dense matter of a neutron star is calculated with the help of methods of quantum field theory. The influence of the electroweak interaction between electrons and background nucleons on the process of change of the helicity is examined. A kinetic equation is derived for the evolution of the chiral chemical potential. The results obtained are used to describe the evolution of the magnetic field in magnetars.