Vortex Creep Heating in Neutron Stars

TL;DR

This paper proposes that vortex creep friction in neutron star crusts explains the observed heating in old neutron stars, with a universal parameter consistent with theoretical models, supported by recent temperature data.

Contribution

It introduces a vortex creep heating model with a universal parameter, linking neutron star temperature observations to vortex-nuclear interactions.

Findings

Heating luminosity proportional to pulsar spin-down rate

Observed data supports the vortex creep heating model

The universal parameter J matches theoretical predictions

Abstract

Recent observations of old warm neutron stars suggest the presence of a heating source in these stars, requiring a paradigm beyond the standard neutron-star cooling theory. In this work, we study the scenario where this heating is caused by the friction associated with the creep motion of neutron superfluid vortex lines in the crust. As it turns out, the heating luminosity in this scenario is proportional to the time derivative of the angular velocity of the pulsar rotation, and the proportional constant $J$ has an approximately universal value for all neutron stars. This $J$ parameter can be determined from the temperature observation of old neutron stars because the heating luminosity is balanced with the photon emission at late times. We study the latest data of neutron star temperature observation and find that these data indeed give similar values of $J$, in favor of the assumption that the frictional motion of vortex lines heats these neutron stars. These values turn out to be consistent with the theoretical calculations of the vortex-nuclear interaction.