Pairing correlations in the inner crust of neutron stars Original Research Article

We calculate the pairing gap in the inner crust of neutron stars, taking into account both the proximity effects associated with the coexistence of the nuclear lattice with the sea of free neutrons, and the polarization effects associated with the exchange of density and spin fluctuations. It is found that the presence of the nuclei attenuates the quenching of the gap produced by the polarization.