ROTATIONAL COUPLING OF THE PINNED CORE SUPERFLUID

The effects of pinning between fluxoids and vortices in the core of a neutron star on the dynamics of the core neutron superfluid are considered. The pinning impedes, but does not absolutely block, any radial as well as azimuthal motion of the neutron vortices with respect to the lattice of fluxoids. The timescale for the coupling of rotation of the core superfluid to the rest of the star is calculated, allowing for the effect of the finite frictional force on the neutron vortices due to their pinning with the fluxoids. This turns out to be the dominant mechanism for the coupling of the core of a neutron star to its crust, as compared to the role of electron scattering, for most cases of interest. Furthermore, different behaviors for the post-glitch response of the core superfluid are distinguished that might be tested against the relevant observational data. Also, a conceptually important case (and controversial too, in the earlier studies on the role of the crustal superfluid) is realized where a superfluid may remain decoupled in spite of a spinning-up of its vortices.