Hovik Grigorian, Yerevan State University

Cooling of the neutron star in Cassiopeia A

We show that the cooling data for the youngest known neutron star (NS) in our galaxy, observed over the past 10 years in the center of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A) can be successfully explained within the Medium Modified Superfluid Cooling (MMSC) scenario. The MMSC scenario developed by us 7 years ago is explained and it is shown that the rapid cooling of Cas A lies in the era when the isothermal regime of the NS is established so that a very sensitive dependence on the mass and the heat conductivity of NS matter results. We discuss the effect of a possible color superconducting quark matter core on the mass of Cas A and discuss consequences for NS phenomenology.