Force on a neutron quantised vortex pinned to proton fluxoids in the superfluid core of cold neutron stars

Abstract

The superfluid and superconducting core of a cold rotating neutron star is expected to be threaded by a tremendous number of neutron quantised vortices and proton fluxoids. Their interactions are unavoidable and may have important astrophysical implications. In this paper, the various contributions to the force acting on a single vortex to which fluxoids are pinned are clarified. The general expression of the force is derived by applying the variational multifluid formalism developed by Carter and collaborators. Pinning to fluxoids leads to an additional Magnus type force due to proton circulation around the vortex. Pinning in the core of a neutron star may thus have a dramatic impact on the vortex dynamics, and therefore on the magneto-rotational evolution of the star.