Lisa Drummond (Caltech, USA) gives a webinar on ‘Quantum Fluids in Astrophysics: Modeling Cosmic Phenomena with Superfluidity’.

This talk will explore the important role of quantum fluids in neutron star interiors, focusing on the dynamics of neutron vortices and their interaction with proton flux tubes. Neutron stars are believed to contain a neutron superfluid in their core, and understanding the behavior of its vortices is essential for explaining astrophysical phenomena like pulsar glitches. We will begin by examining the equilibrium configurations of these vortices and flux tubes [1], followed by a discussion of far-from-equilibrium dynamics [2], highlighting the complexity that arises during the spin-down of the neutron star. Finally, we discuss the feedback mechanism from proton superconductivity, which further complicates the vortex dynamics and coupling in the star’s core [3]. Beyond neutron stars, I will briefly touch on other interesting connections between quantum fluids and astrophysics, including ultra-light boson clouds as dark matter candidates and laboratory experiments that simulate black hole dynamics using giant superfluid helium vortices.

[1] arXiv:1709.02254

[2] arXiv:1712.02938

[3] arXiv:2305.04482