Rotating Superfluid in Neutron Stars

A rotating perfect fluid subject to axisymmetric, azimuthal, time-independent forces is shown to have a uniform angular acceleration on each coaxial cylindrical surface. In a rotating superfluid, uniform rotation is mimicked by a dense corotating paraxial array of quantized vortices. The above classical result is approached when external forces on the vortices vary on a scale large compared with the intervortex spacing. In such cases, despite forces which may vary greatly along individual vortex lines, the vortices move radially but remain parallel to the rotation axis. This resistance to bending suppresses the development of superfluid turbulence in the interiors of rapidly rotating neutron stars. Subject headings: hydrodynamics - neutron stars - rotation, stellar