Cassiopeia A and direct URCA cooling

Understand

We model neutron star cooling, in particular the current rapid cooldown of the neutron star Cas A, with a microscopic nuclear equation of state featuring strong direct Urca processes and using compatible nuclear pairing gaps as well as effective masses.

• Several scenarios are possible to explain the features of Cas A, but only large and extended proton $^1S_0$ gaps and small neutron $^3PF_2$ gaps are able to accommodate also the major part of the complete current cooling data.
• We conclude that the possibility of strong direct Urca processes cannot be excluded from the cooling analysis.