BEC and Neutron Star

Xiaoguang Li
Physics 599
11/30/2005
some properties of neutron star

High density, temperature

Lighthouse effect, strong magnetic field
Superfluidity, Superconductor
BEC and Neutron Star

BEC neutron star

Boson Fermion

10−6 gcm −3 1015 gcm −3

< 3K 106 K ( at surface )

Both are superfluids -- that is, liquids that

flow without friction or viscosity.
The Condition inside a Neutron Star

the basic nuclear interaction is attractive at

large distances.
The ratio nn n p is high, we need only
consider n-n and p-p pairing.
Superfluidity may occur whenever
∆ > kT
The gap parameter ∆ depends on the strength
of the pairing interaction and, in turn, on the
density.
Cooling of Neutron Stars

It is generally believed that neutron stars are

formed at very high interior temperatures (T ≥ 1011 K )
in the core of a supernova explosion.
the predominant cooling mechanism after
formation is neutrino emission, with an initial
cooling timescale of seconds. After about a day,
the internal temperature drops to 109 −1010 K

The gap parameter ∆ 1 − 2MeV

Evidence of Superfluidity

superfluid vortices
pulsars
glitches
Vortices in the superfluidity
For the normal liquid, for
example a glass of water that
is placed on a rotating turn-
table. After some initial
slowness, the water starts to
rotate uniformly with the glass.
By definition, vorticity is also
present in the uniform rotation
because the flow velocity at
the edges is larger than in the
center.

In contrast to the example of a glass of water above, the rotation in

superfluids is always inhomogeneous (figure). The fluid circulates
around quantized vortex lines. The vortex lines are shown as yellow
in the figure, and the circulating flow around them is indicated by
arrows. There is no vorticity outside of the lines because the velocity
near each line is larger than further away. (In mathematical terms curl
v = 0, where v(r) is the velocity field.)
Pulsars
if there are charged particles
trapped by the strong magnetic
field of the neutron stars near the
magnetic poles, the strong
magnetic field directs the radiation
field along the magnetic axis of
the neutron stars.
If the axis of the magnetic dipole
is not aligned with the rotation
axis of the neutron stars, then the
radiation field would be sweeping
through space, just like the light
beam from a lighthouse.
If the beam sweeps across the
Earth, we would see an
intermittent radiation ⇒ Pulsar.
 Crab Pulsar From
Chandra X-ray Observatory

Crab Nebula in X-ray.

Glitches

These neutron stars usually rotate with

such precision that they are known as the
best timekeepers in the universe, but
every so often their rotation rate suddenly
increases. It is thought that these glitches
are related to superfluidity inside the star,
which allows the neutrons to flow without
friction.
Supernova and neutron star

Degenerate pressure
„ Pauli’s Exclusion Principle
„ Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle
Collapse
Shock wave
Supernova
Neutron star
“Bosenova”
Carl Wieman and colleagues
at NIST have discovered that
atoms inside a BEC can be
made to attract or repel one
another by "tuning" the
magnetic field.
They tried both:
„ First, they made a self-
repelling BEC. It expanded
gently, as expected.
„ Then, they made a mildly self-
attracting BEC. It began to
Like tiny supernova shrink -- again as expected --
„ Collapse but then it did something
„ Explosion wholly unexpected.
„ Small remnant „ It exploded!
Black hole

In principle, black holes

could be simulated by
passing light close to a
whirlpool of gas. If the
centre of the whirlpool
was moving faster than
light, the light would be
If a fish gets too near, sucked inwards like the
and enters an area unfortunate fish.
where the water speed physicists have managed
is faster than the fish to do that using BECs.
can move, it will be
sucked inwards.