On the Origin of Magnetar Fields: Chiral Magnetic Instability in Neutron Star Crusts

Abstract

We investigate the chiral magnetic instability in the crust of a neutron star as a potential mechanism for amplifying magnetic fields. This instability may become active when small deviations from chemical equilibrium are sustained over decades, driven by the star's gradual spin-down or residual heat loss. Our findings suggest that this mechanism can produce strong, large-scale magnetic fields consistent with models that align with observational data. Additionally, this instability naturally generates magnetic helicity in the star's crust, which is crucial for forming and maintaining strong dipolar toroidal fields, often invoked to explain magnetar observational phenomena. Our results offer a microphysically-based alternative to classical hydrodynamical dynamos for the origin of magnetar magnetic fields, addressing a long-standing debate in the field.