Speaker
Description
Magnetars, the most strongly magnetized class of the isolated neutron star population, are characterized by large-scale dipolar magnetic fields of order $10^{14}$ G, which are responsible for their rapid spin-down. The origin of such intense dipolar fields remains an open problem. In this talk, I will discuss the role of the chiral magnetic effect, arising from the chiral anomaly, which enables mutual conversion between magnetic helicity and electron chiral asymmetry. We present results for scenarios with both nonzero and vanishing net magnetic helicity, the latter being more representative of realistic birth conditions in proto–neutron stars. Using three-dimensional magneto-thermal simulations, we demonstrate that the chiral magnetic effect transfers magnetic energy from small-scale fields—expected at birth—to large-scale dipolar structures without requiring any external energy input. This mechanism provides a physical explanation for the formation of the large-scale dipolar structure observed in magnetars.
