GENERAL-RELATIVISTIC EFFECTS ON THE OHMIC DECAY OF CRUSTAL MAGNETIC-FIELDS IN NEUTRON STARS

The ohmic decay of magnetic fields confined within the crust of neutro n stars is considered by incorporating the effect of spacetime curvatu re produced by the intense gravitational field of the star. It is show n that the general relativistic effect reduces the magnetic field deca y rate substantially and that, especially at the late time of the evol ution, the decay rate decreases by several orders of magnitude when co mpared with the case without the relativistic effect.