The implications of hyperon pairing for the thermal evolution of neutron
stars containing hyperons are investigated. The outcome of cooling simulations
are compared for neutron star models composed only of nucleons and leptons,
models including hyperons, and models including pairing of hyperons. We show
that lambda and neutron pairing suppresses all possible fast neutrino emission
processes in not too massive neutron stars. The inclusion of lambda pairing
yields better agreement with X-ray observations of pulsars. Particularly, the
surface temperatures deduced from X-ray observations within the hydrogen
atmosphere model are more consistent with the thermal history of neutron stars
containing hyperons, if the critical temperature for the onset of lambda and
nucleon pairing is not too small.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures. To be published in ApJL. The postscript and
additional tables can be found at
http://www.physik.uni-muenchen.de/sektion/suessmann/astro/cool/schaab.089