Core structures of vortices in Ginzburg-Landau theory for neutron $^3P_2$ superfluids

TL;DR

This paper studies vortex structures in neutron $^3P_2$ superfluids within Ginzburg-Landau theory, revealing that vortices split into non-Abelian half-quantized vortices connected by solitons, with configurations depending on magnetic field strength.

Contribution

It introduces the detailed vortex solutions and their splitting behavior in different nematic phases of neutron superfluids under magnetic fields, highlighting the formation of vortex molecules with non-Abelian properties.

Findings

Vortices split into two half-quantized non-Abelian vortices connected by solitons.

Vortex molecule energy increases with magnetic field, and vortex separation decreases.

Constructed an isolated half-quantized non-Abelian vortex in the $D_4$ biaxial nematic phase.

Abstract

We investigate vortex solutions in the Ginzburg-Landau theory for neutron $^3P_2$ superfluids relevant for neutron star cores in which neutron pairs possess the total angular momentum $J=2$ with spin-triplet and $P$ wave, in the presence of the magnetic field parallel to the angular momentum of vortices. The ground state is known to be in the uniaxial nematic (UN) phase in the absence of magnetic field, while it is in the $D_2$ ($D_4$) biaxial nematic (BN) phase in the presence of the magnetic field below (above) the critical value. We find that a singly quantized vortex always splits into two half-quantized non-Abelian vortices connected by soliton(s) as a vortex molecule with any strength of the magnetic field. In the UN phase, two half-quantized vortices with ferromagnetic cores are connected by a linear soliton with the $D_4$ BN order. In the $D_2$ ($D_4$) BN phase, two half-quantized vortices with cyclic cores are connected by three linear solitons with the $D_4$ ($D_2$) BN order. The energy of the vortex molecule monotonically increases and the distance between the two half-quantized vortices decreases with the magnetic field increases, except for a discontinuously increasing jump of the distance at the critical magnetic field. We also construct an isolated half-quantized non-Abelian vortex in the $D_4$ BN phase.