Astroplasmas Seminar

Next seminar 

Friday, May 6, 12:30 pm, Dome Room, Peyton Hall

Title: Vortex Dynamics in the Neutron Star Inner Crust

Speaker: Xin Sheng (Columbia University)

Abstract: Neutron star glitches are hypothesized to result from the sudden coupling between the star's crust and its inner superfluid. To elucidate this mechanism, we perform direct three-dimensional simulations of superfluid vortex motion within the inner crust, accounting for interactions of the vortex and the nuclear lattice. Our results provide a critical link between microscopic vortex pinning and the macroscopic glitch events observed in pulsars. Specifically, we demonstrate that massive vortex unpinning can be triggered by two mechanisms: lattice shearing during starquakes and vortex avalanches.