Neutron Stars as Cosmic Laboratories

Wed 28 November, 2018 @12:00 PM, level 7
Dr Vanessa Graber McGill Space Institute, McGill University

Email:   vanessa.graber[at]mcgill.ca

Abstract

Neutron stars unite many extremes of physics which cannot be reached on Earth, making them excellent cosmic laboratories for the study of dense matter. One exciting example is the presence of superfluid and superconducting components in mature neutron stars. When developing mathematical models to describe these large-scale quantum condensates, physicists tend to focus on the interface between astrophysics and nuclear physics. Connections with low-temperature physics are often ignored. However, there has been dramatic progress in understanding and experimenting with laboratory condensates (from the different phases of superfluid helium to the entire range of superconductors and ultra-cold gases). In this talk, I will provide an overview of what we know about superfluid and superconducting components in neutron stars, and suggest novel ways that we may make progress in understanding neutron star physics using the connections to terrestrial low-temperature condensates.