Neutron contribution to the force on a proton vortex in superconducting neutron-star matter

Abstract

We investigate the forces acting on a proton vortex in superconducting neutron-star matter composed of neutrons, protons, and electrons, accounting for Fermi-liquid interactions in the neutron-proton subsystem. While the force arising from electron scattering by the vortex magnetic field is well known, we demonstrate that normal neutrons also exert a force on proton vortices due to Fermi-liquid coupling with superconducting protons. Using a kinetic approach based on Landau Fermi-liquid theory, we show that neutron quasiparticles scatter off a proton vortex through the spatially varying condensate momentum, giving rise to a longitudinal force proportional to the relative neutron-vortex velocity. In contrast to the electron contribution, this force has no transverse component and vanishes in the absence of neutron-proton Fermi-liquid interaction. Within a simple model, we analyze the main properties of this force and provide physically motivated estimates of its magnitude.

Comments: 23 pages, 1 figure, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. C