Unresolved dynamical properties of nuclear superfluids in the neutron-star inner crust

Investigate the dynamical properties of nuclear superfluids in the inner crust of neutron stars by determining mutual entrainment effects between neutrons and protons, characterizing vortex dynamics, and quantifying dissipation mechanisms, so as to reduce current uncertainties and enable more reliable global models of neutron-star matter.

Background

The paper highlights that extreme conditions inside neutron stars cannot be reproduced in the laboratory, and that neutron and proton superfluidity in the inner crust introduces complex dynamical phenomena. The authors emphasize that these phenomena are central to interpreting astrophysical observations and constructing global models of superfluid neutron stars.

To address such questions, the authors develop a time-dependent nuclear energy-density functional toolkit (W-BSk Toolkit) and demonstrate its capabilities on a 3D problem of a nucleus accelerating through a neutron superfluid. While the study provides new insights into effective mass and dissipation, it explicitly notes broader unresolved questions related to entrainment, vortex dynamics, and dissipation in nuclear superfluids.