Neutrino emission due to proton pairing in neutron stars

TL;DR

This paper calculates the neutrino emission rate from proton pairing in neutron star cores, highlighting the significant impact of relativistic corrections which dominate the emission process and influence neutron star cooling models.

Contribution

It introduces the first detailed calculation of relativistic corrections to neutrino emission from proton pairing in neutron stars, showing these corrections are much larger than previously estimated.

Findings

Relativistic corrections increase the neutrino emission rate by 10-50 times.

The correction reduces the difference between proton and neutron pairing emissions.

Results are crucial for accurate neutron star cooling simulations.

Abstract

We calculate the neutrino energy emission rate due to singlet-state pairing of protons in the neutron star cores taking into account the relativistic correction to the non-relativistic rate. The non-relativistic rate is numerically small, and the relativistic correction appears to be about 10 -- 50 times larger. It plays thus the leading role, reducing great difference between the neutrino emissions due to pairing of protons and neutrons. The results are important for simulations of neutron star cooling.