Abstract
The extreme properties of neutron stars provide unique opportunities to put constraints on new particles and interactions. In this paper, we point out a few interesting ideas that place constraints on light millicharged fermions, with masses below around an eV, from neutron star astrophysics. The model-independent bounds are obtained leveraging the fact that light millicharged fermions may be pair produced copiously via non-perturbative processes in the extreme electromagnetic environments of a neutron star, like a Magnetar. The limits are derived based on the requirement that conventional Magnetar physics not be catastrophically affected by this non-perturbative production. It will be seen that Magnetar energetics, magnetic field evolution and spin-down rates may all be influenced to various degrees by the presence of the millicharged particles.
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Korwar, M., Thalapillil, A.M. Novel astrophysical probes of light millicharged fermions through Schwinger pair production. J. High Energ. Phys. 2019, 39 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP04(2019)039
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP04(2019)039