Self-gravitating superfluids: the Gross-Pitaevskii-Poisson framework

Area of Science:

• Astrophysical physics
• Condensed matter physics
• High-energy physics

Background:

• The Gross-Pitaevskii-Poisson equation (GPPE) is crucial for modeling self-gravitating superfluid systems.
• These systems include astrophysical objects like boson stars, axion stars, and dark-matter halos (DMHs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of the GPPE framework.
• To demonstrate its application in developing minimal models for neutron stars and pulsars.
• To incorporate superfluid vortices and proton superconductor flux tubes into these models.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing the Gross-Pitaevskii-Poisson equation (GPPE).
• Developing a coupled model involving neutron superfluid, proton superconductor, Maxwell equations for the vector potential A, and the Poisson equation for self-gravity.
• Accounting for vortices in neutron superfluids and flux tubes in proton superconductors within neutron stars.

Main Results:

• The GPPE framework is versatile for modeling diverse self-gravitating superfluid systems.
• The coupled model successfully incorporates microphysical elements like vortices and flux tubes.
• This approach enables the development of minimal models for neutron stars and pulsars, including explanations for glitches.

Conclusions:

• The GPPE provides a unified theoretical framework for self-gravitating superfluids.
• The inclusion of superfluid and superconducting components offers deeper insights into neutron star and pulsar physics.
• This work contributes to understanding complex astrophysical phenomena through advanced theoretical modeling.