Electron-muon heat conduction in neutron star cores via the exchange of transverse plasmons
May, 2007Citations per year
Abstract: (arXiv)
We calculate the thermal conductivity of electrons and muons kappa_{e-mu} produced owing to electromagnetic interactions of charged particles in neutron star cores and show that these interactions are dominated by the exchange of transverse plasmons (via the Landau damping of these plasmons in nonsuperconducting matter and via a specific plasma screening in the presence of proton superconductivity). For normal protons, the Landau damping strongly reduces kappa_{e-mu} and makes it temperature independent. Proton superconductivity suppresses the reduction and restores the Fermi-liquid behavior kappa_{e-mu} ~ 1/T. Comparing with the thermal conductivity of neutrons kappa_n, we obtain kappa_{e-mu}> kappa_n for T>2 GK in normal matter and for any T in superconducting matter with proton critical temperatures T_c>3e9 K. The results are described by simple analytic formulae.- 97.60.Jd
- 95.30.Tg
- 97.20.Rp
- 52.25.Fi
- neutron star
- electron: conductivity
- muon: conductivity
- charged particle: electromagnetic interaction
- plasmon: transverse
- plasmon: exchange
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