D-3(2) PAIRING IN ASYMMETRIC NUCLEAR-MATTER

The superfluid D-3(2) pairing instability in isospin-asymmetric nuclea r matter is studied, using the Paris nucleon-nucleon interaction as an input. It is found that the critical temperature associated with the transition to the superfluid phase becomes strongly suppressed with in creasing isospin asymmetry, and vanishes for asymmetry parameter value s alpha (= (n(n) - n(p))/(n(n) + n(p))) that are larger than several p ercent. It is shown that for neutron star models based on relativistic , field-theoretical equations of state, a large fraction of their inte rior may exist in a D-3(2)-paired supefluid phase. The implications of such a D-3(2) superfluid in massive neutron stars is discussed with r espect to observable pulsar phenomena. Another interesting phenomenon, discussed in the paper, concerns the numerical finding of two critica l superfluid temperatures for a given density in the case of isospin-a symmetric matter. Using the BCS cut-off ansatz, a mathematical express ion for the critical temperature is derived which confirms this findin g analytically.