Neutron star matter superfluidity and superconductivity

The possibility of superfluidity or superconductivity in neutron or proton subsystems in the nuclear-matter region in neutron stars is investigated. The energy gap and corresponding critical temperature and critical magnetic field is calculated or estimated as function of density or Fermi momentum. In the calculations are used reaction matrix elements calculated earlier by means of Brueckner theory by the author. The final results indicate that neutron superfluidity, corresponding specifically toS-state pairing, may exist in a low-density shell in the nuclear-matter region of a neutron star. There is probably anisotropic neutron superfluidity, corresponding to the³ P ₂ or the singletD state, for higher densities. Superfluidity or superconductivity, corresponding toS-state pairing for the proton subsystem, is quite likely in most of the nuclear-matter region. The expected temperatures and magnetic fields in neutron stars seem to be well below the estimated critical temperatures or critical magnetic fields corresponding to the calculated values of the energy gap. However, similar methods have earlier predicted a much too high critical temperature for liquid³He.