Magnetar Crusts: Matter at $10^{15}$ Gauss

Abstract

In this work we find that the at the high polar magnetic fields of magnetars, $B \sim 10^{14-15}$ G, the outermost crust ($\rho < 10^7$ gm/cc) of the star can become a transverse insulator and a filamentary crystal along the field direction. Also, the transverse conductivity in the crust goes inversely as the square of polar magnetic field (as $1/B^2$). At these high fields the transverse crustal currents associated with the polar magnetic field can then dissipate more effectively via Ohm's law.