Project Grant 2607233

The National Science Foundation Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences awarded Montana State University $532,038 on August 15, 2026, under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to develop a theoretical description of quantum hydrodynamics in neutron stars and explain observed spin anomalies in these compact objects.

The research, performing through July 31, 2029, in Bozeman, Montana, will integrate microscopic features of vortex motion into a global model of neutron star spin glitches and precession. The research team will use numerical simulations to assess consequences of slip-stick, hysteretic vortex motion discovered in preliminary work, modeling how stellar spin-down drives the vortex array into complex configurations as vortices twist, tangle, and are ejected from the star. The group will develop a detailed model of how failure of the neutron star crust under spin-down or magnetic stresses liberates pinned vortices to produce observable spin glitches, and will examine whether motion of pinned vortices under thermal activation in the neutron star inner crust and core could explain observational evidence for long-period precession. The project includes training undergraduate students in research and supporting public outreach talks about neutron stars and this research at Bozeman's Museum of the Rockies and other venues.