The chiral magnetic effect (CME), arising from the chiral anomaly and enabling a mutual conversion between magnetic topology and fermionic chirality, is a key mechanism in magnetar field evolution. Previous work by Dehman & Pons (2025) demonstrated that the CME can efficiently generate dipolar fields $\left(B_{\rm dip} \gtrsim 10^{14}\,\mathrm{G}\right)$, consistent with magnetar timing measurements, provided that the initial magnetic field carries net helicity. However, whether neutron stars are born with magnetic helicity remains uncertain. In this work, we investigate the CME across a range of initial helicity configurations, including non-helical initial conditions. We find that the CME efficiently generates magnetar-strength dipoles on timescales of decades, independently of the initial helicity content. The chiral instability is driven by localized helical structures that induce a residual chiral asymmetry and is primarily governed by the maximum chiral chemical potential, requiring $μ_5^{\rm max} \gtrsim \mathrm{few}\times10^{-11}\,\mathrm{MeV}$ for onset in the magnetar regime. Our results further show that these dipoles may either remain stable and subsequently evolve through standard Ohmic decay, or become unstable if they acquire sufficient helicity, in which case they decay through the chiral anomaly, transferring energy to less helical modes. This outcome depends sensitively on the initial helicity distribution. These findings extend the applicability of the CME to more realistic magnetic-field configurations and underscore the importance of the helicity distribution at birth, a quantity that remains poorly constrained in newborn neutron stars, yet is crucial for determining their magnetic evolution and the emergence of magnetars.
The model for the generation of magnetic fields in a neutron star, based on the magnetic field instability caused by the electroweak interaction between electrons and nucleons, is developed. Using the methods of the quantum field theory, the helicity flip rate of electrons in their scattering off protons in dense matter of a neutron star is calculated. The influence of the electroweak interaction between electrons and background nucleons on the process of the helicity flip is studied. The kinetic equation for the evolution of the chital imbalance is derived. The obtained results are applied fo…
In this letter, we present the first 3D force-free general relativity simulations of the magnetosphere dynamics related to the magnetar outburst/flare phenomenology. Starting from an initial dipole configuration, we adiabatically increase the helicity by twisting the footprints of a spot on the stellar surface and follow the succession of quasi-equilibrium states until a critical twist is reached. Twisting beyond that point triggers instabilities that results in the rapid expansion of magnetic field lines, followed by reconnection, as observed in previous axi-symmetric simulations. If the inje…
We propose a possible new mechanism for a strong and stable magnetic field of compact stars due to an instability in the presence of a chirality imbalance of electrons---the chiral plasma instability. A large chirality imbalance of electrons inevitably occurs associated with the parity-violating weak process during core collapse of supernovae. We estimate the maximal magnetic field due to this instability to be of order 10^{18} G at the core. This mechanism naturally generates a large magnetic helicity from the chiral asymmetry, which ensures the stability of the large magnetic field.
Chirality of neutrinos modifies the conventional kinetic theory and hydrodynamics, leading to unusual chiral transport related to quantum anomalies in field theory. We argue that these corrections have new phenomenological consequences for hot and dense neutrino gases, especially in core-collapse supernovae. We find that the neutrino density can be converted to the fluid helicity through the chiral vortical effect. This fluid helicity effectively acts as a chiral chemical potential for electrons via the momentum exchange with neutrinos and induces a "helical plasma instability" that generates …
We study the magnetic field generation in a neutron star within the model based on the magnetic field instability in the nuclear matter owing to the electron-nucleon parity violating interaction. We suggest that the growing magnetic field takes the energy from thermal background fermions in the neutron star matter. The system of kinetic equations for the spectra of the magnetic helicity density and magnetic energy density as well as the chiral imbalance are solved numerically accounting for this energy source. We obtain that, for the initial conditions corresponding to a typical neutron star, …
We study the long-term quasi-steady evolution of the force-free magnetosphere of a magnetar coupled to its internal magnetic field. We find that magnetospheric currents can be maintained on long timescales of the order of thousands of years. Meanwhile, the energy, helicity and twist stored in the magnetosphere all gradually increase over the course of this evolution, until a critical point is reached, beyond which a force-free magnetosphere cannot be constructed. At this point, some large-scale magnetospheric rearrangement, possibly resulting in an outburst or a flare, must occur, releasing a …
We analyze the magnetic field evolution in dense quark matter with unbroken chiral symmetry, which can be found inside quark and hybrid stars. The magnetic field evolves owing to the chiral magnetic effect in the presence of the electroweak interaction between quarks. In our study, we also take into account the magnetohydrodynamic turbulence effects in dense quark matter. We derive the kinetic equations for the spectra of the magnetic helicity density and the magnetic energy density as well as for the chiral imbalances. On the basis of the numerical solution of these equations, we find that tu…
We analyze the role of the surface terms in the conservation law for the sum of the magnetic helicity density and the chiral imbalance of the charged particle densities. These terms are neglected in the Anomalous MagnetoHydroDynamics (AMHD), where infinite volume is considered typically. We discuss a finite volume system, such as a magnetized neutron star (NS), and study the contribution of the surface terms to the evolution of the magnetic helicity. Accounting for the fast washing out of the chiral imbalance in a nascent NS, we demonstrate that the surface terms contribution can potentially l…
We report results of X-ray timing analyses for the low-field magnetar CXOU~J164710.2$-$455216 which exhibited multiple outbursts. We use data taken with NICER, NuSTAR, Chandra, and Neil-Gehrels-Swift telescopes between 2017 and 2018 when the source was in an active state. We perform semi-phase-coherent timing analyses to measure the spin parameters and a spin-inferred magnetic-field strength ($B_s$) of the magnetar. Using a semi-phase-coherent method, we infer the magnetic field strengths to be $3-4\times 10^{13}\rm \ G$ at the observation period ($\sim$MJD 58000), and by comparing with previo…
We study the propagation of neutrinos from compact astrophysical objects with strong magnetic field, such as magnetars. Both neutrino spin rotation and oscillations in a realistic three-flavor model are taken into account. We solve the neutrino evolution equation in the magnetic field near the object and obtain the probabilities of all possible spin-flavor transitions. Assuming that neutrinos are produced in the interior of the star being in their left-handed state with electron flavor, we use these spin-flavor transition probabilities to estimate the fraction of neutrinos, which change their …
We study the instability of magnetic fields in a neutron star core driven by the parity violating part of the electron-nucleon interaction in the Standard Model. Assuming a seed field of the order $10^{12}\thinspace\text{G}$, that is a common value for pulsars, one obtains its amplification due to such a novel mechanism by about five orders of magnitude, up to $10^{17}\thinspace\text{G}$, at time scales $\sim (10^3 - 10^5)\thinspace\text{yr}$. This effect is suggested to be a possible explanation of the origin of the strongest magnetic fields observed in magnetars. The growth of a seed magneti…
The Adler-Bell-Jackiw anomaly for massive particles is studied in an external magnetic field. The contributions of the mean spin and the pseudoscalar are accounted for in the quasiclassical approximation. The equation for the evolution of the magnetic helicity with the new quantum corrections is derived. We show that the quantum contribution to the helicity evolution can overcome the classical one in the dense degenerate matter which can be present in the core of a neutron star. The application of the obtained results for the interpretation of magnetar bursts are discussed.
A magnetar's magnetosphere gradually evolves by the injection of energy and helicity from the interior. Axisymmetric static solutions for a relativistic force-free magnetosphere with a power-law current model are numerically obtained. They provide information about the configurations in which the stored energy is large. The energy along a sequence of equilibria increases and becomes sufficient to open the magnetic field. A magnetic flux rope, in which a large amount of toroidal field is confined, is formed in the vicinity of the star, for states exceeding the open field energy. These states ar…
A model of the generation of a magnetic field in a neutron star is developed, based on an instability of the magnetic field caused by the electroweak interaction between electrons and nucleons in nuclear matter. The rate of change of the helicity of the electrons as they scatter on protons in the dense matter of a neutron star is calculated with the help of methods of quantum field theory. The influence of the electroweak interaction between electrons and background nucleons on the process of change of the helicity is examined. A kinetic equation is derived for the evolution of the chiral chem…
Giant flares on soft gamma-ray repeaters that are thought to take place on magnetars release enormous energy in a short time interval. Their power can be explained by catastrophic instabilities occurring in the magnetic field configuration and the subsequent magnetic reconnection. By analogy with the coronal mass ejection (CME) events on the Sun, we develop a theoretical model via an analytic approach for magnetar giant flares. In this model, the rotation and/or displacement of the crust causes the field to twist and deform, leading to flux rope formation in the magnetosphere and energy accumu…
We review the results in our recent works on the generation of strong magnetic fields in compact stars driven by the parity violating electroweak interactions between background fermions. The cases of a neutron star, a hybrid star, and a quark star are considered. We formulate the system of kinetic equations for the description of the spectra of the magnetic energy and the magnetic helicity, as well as for the chiral imbalances. Turbulence effects, which can be important for the evolution of small-scale magnetic field, are also taken into account. We find the numerical solution of these equati…
Magnetar magnetospheres gradually become twisted due to shearing by footpoint motion. The axisymmetric solutions for the force-free field with a power-law current model are calculated by taking into account general relativistic effects. Here we show how the magnetic energy and helicity are accumulated along a sequence of equilibria. In a strongly twisted case, a magnetic flux rope, in which a large amount of toroidal field is confined, detaches in the vicinity of the star. It is found this kind of magnetic field line structure is easily produced due to strong relativistic effects compared with…
The effects of anomalies in high density QCD are striking. We consider a direct application of one of these effects, namely topological currents, on the physics of neutron stars. All the elements required for topological currents are present in neutron stars: degenerate matter, large magnetic fields, and P-parity violating processes. These conditions lead to the creation of vector currents capable of carrying momentum and inducing magnetic fields. We estimate the size of these currents for many representative states of dense matter in the neutron star and argue that they could be responsible f…
We consider the tilting instability of a magnetically confined spheromak using 3D MHD and relativistic PIC calculations with an application to astrophysical plasmas, specifically those occurring in magnetar magnetospheres. The instability is driven by the counter alignment of the spheromak's intrinsic magnetic dipole with the external magnetic field. Initially the spheromak rotates - tilts - trying to lower its magnetic potential energy. As a result a current sheet forms between the internal magnetic field of a spheromak and the confining field. Magnetic reconnection sets in; this leads to the…
Magnetars exhibit a variety of transient high-energy phenomena in the form of bursts, outbursts, and giant flares. It is a common belief that these events originate in the sudden release of magnetic energy due to the rearrangement of a twisted magnetic field. We present global models of a 3D Force-Free (FF) non-linear twisted magnetar magnetosphere. We solve the FF equations following the Grad-Rubin approach in a compactified spherical domain. Appropriate boundary conditions are imposed at the surface of the star for the current distribution and the magnetic field. Our implementation is tested…
We show that the Standard Model electroweak interaction of ultrarelativistic electrons with nucleons ($eN$ interaction) in a neutron star (NS) permeated by a seed large-scale helical magnetic field provides its growth up to $\gtrsim 10^{15}\thinspace\text{G}$ during a time comparable with the ages of young magnetars $\sim 10^4\thinspace\text{yr}$. The magnetic field instability originates from the parity violation in the $eN$ interaction entering the generalized Dirac equation for right and left massless electrons in an external uniform magnetic field. We calculate the averaged electric curren…
We analyze the influence of neutrino helicity conversion, $ν_L \to ν_R$, on the neutrino flux from a supernova caused by the interaction of the Dirac neutrino magnetic moment with a magnetic field. We show that if the neutrino has a magnetic moment in the interval $10^{-13} \, μ_{\rm B} < μ_ν< 10^{-12} \, μ_{\rm B}$ and provided that a magnetic field of $\sim 10^{13} - 10^{14}$ G exists in the supernova envelope, a peculiar kind of time evolution of the neutrino signal from the supernova caused by the resonance transition $ν_L \to ν_R$ in the magnetic field of the envelope can appear. If a mag…
