Thermal and transport properties of the neutron star inner crust

Abstract

We review the nuclear and condensed matter physics underlying the thermal and transport properties of the neutron star inner crust. These properties play a key role in interpreting transient phenomena such as thermal relaxation in accreting neutron stars, superbursts, and magnetar flares. We emphasize simplifications that occur at low temperature where the inner crust can be described in terms of electrons and collective excitations. The heat conductivity and heat capacity of the solid and superfluid phase of matter is discussed in detail and we emphasize its role in interpreting observations of neutron stars in soft X-ray transients. We highlight recent theoretical and observational results, and identify future work needed to better understand a host of transient phenomena in neutron stars.