References:

1. A. G. Lyne & F. Graham-Smith, Pulsar Astronomy

Cambridge University Press, 1998
2. Shapiro & Teukolsky, WD, NS & BHs, Chapters 9 & 10
3. Lorimer: astro-ph/0104388 & 0301327
4. Camilo: astro-ph/0210620
1967: Hewish, Bell et al.
discover radio pulsars.

1974: Nobel prize to Ryle

(aperture synthesis)
and Hewish (pulsars).
1968: Gold proposes rotating NS model for Pulsars

Why neutron stars?

• Pulsation timescale for WD is: (R3/GM)1/2/2pi ~ 1 s
(The period of the closest orbit is similar;
moreover, these timescales decrease
with time - not increase as for pulsars).
• The break-up rotation period for WDs is also ~ 1 s.
• Not possible to get highly stable periodic signal
from BHs.
• The break-up rotation period, pulsation or dynamical
time for a NS is ~ milli-sec; rotation can explain the
observed period range and stability.
 Observational Properties of Pulsars

• Period range: 1.5 milli-sec --- 8 sec.

• Luminosity in the radio band ~ 1025 -- 1028 erg/s

• Radio luminosity distribution: N(L) dL  L-1 dL
(This holds over 3-decades in L. The total number
of active pulsars for L> 1 mJy kpc2 is ~ 150,000;
pulsars we observe are more luminous than
average for the Galaxy by a factor 10-100, the
Typical flux is of order 100 mJy).
• The spectrum index is ~ 1.5 I.e. f  --1.5 for  < 1 GHz.
Period Derivative
Some elementary considerations:

Collapse of a star -- conserving angular momentum &

magnetic flux -- to NS gives rise to msec P and B~1012 G

• M R2  = M R2n n  Pn = P (Rn/R)2
Pn ~ 1 ms (P ~ 1 month; R/ Rn ~ 1010)

• R2 B = R2n Bn  Bn = B (R/Rn)2
Bn ~ 1012 Gauss
 Pulsar Distance Determination

1. Parallax
2. Neutral H absorption at 21 cm:
The Doppler shift of the 21cm absorption line
together with the dynamical model of the Galaxy
can be used to identify the location of the H-cloud
and determine the distance to the pulsar.
3. Dispersion measure:
(pulses at different  arrive at different times)
2 = 2p + k2 c2
2p = 4 ne e 2 /me = 3x109 ne (rad/s)2

DM =  dl n e
 Pulse Dispersion
(Lyne & Graham-Smith in “Pulsar Astronomy)
Lyne & Graham-Smith in “Pulsar Astronomy)
 Magnetic dipole Radiation formula

Magnetic dipole rad. energy loss rate:

dE/dt = -2(d 2 m/dt 2)2 /3c3 ; m = Bn R3n/2
m: the magnetic moment of the NS

Or dE/dt = - Bn2 R6n n4 sin2 /6c3

dE/dt ~ 1035 erg/s for Bn ~ 1012 & P=0.1s

Solution of this equation and breaking index

E = I  n2 dn/dt = - K na; a: breaking index
For the dipole model a=3. Observations give a between 1.4 & 2.8
B determined from the dipole radiation formula
(Lyne & Graham-Smith in “Pulsar Astronomy”; Cambridge U. press 1998)
 Pulsar magnetosphere
• NS surrounding is completely dominated by Electro-dynamics.
The pressure scale height on a NS for 108 K plasma is ~ 100 cm.
Thus, the number density 100 m above the NS surface < 10-5/cc
(provided that EM forces are unimportant).

• Goldreich-Julian model (aligned rotator)

• Charge density (pulled from the surface of NS)
• Electric potential drop along open B-field lines
• Poynting flux at the light-cylinder & NS slowdown rate
 Summary of Axisymmetric NS magnetosphere results

E r (R)  BR
2C
10 B12 Statvolt cm-1
7

FE
FG
 4x10 B12
7
n   10 B12
10
cm-3
(Goldreich-Julian density)

dE BR2 R 64 (same as the dipole

Poyinting flux: 
 dt 8 c 4 radiation formula)



Summary of last lecture
 Crab nebula
The nebula is powered (Plerion)
by poynting outflow
from the pulsar.

e-s with energy > 1014 ev

are accelerated by the
electric field in the polar
region; these e-s are needed
for emission at 10 kev.

Rotational energy of the

NS Is the energy source for
The Luminosity ~ 1038 erg/s
(mostly x-ray & gamma)

Blue: x-ray
Red: optic
Synchrotron radiation Green:rad
Pulsar radio-emission must be coherent radiation

• Pulsar radio luminosity, assuming conical geometry,

is found to be in the range of 1025 -- 1028 erg/s.

• The source area ~ (c t)2 ; where t is the pulse width

(t ~ a few milli-sec)

This implies
The brightness temperature Tb ~ 1023 -- 1026 K!
This is clearly not possible --- as it will lead to enormous luminosity.
ms pulsars
 Milli-sec pulsars have low magnetic field
(Lyne & Graham-Smith in “Pulsar Astronomy”; Cambridge U. press 1998)
 Spin-up of a NS in a binary system
(Spherical accretion)

Ram pressure of in-falling gas balances the magnetic pressure:

MÝv M Ý 2
2GM B (r) B R* 2 6

v 
2
    
*
4 r 2
4 r 2 r 8 8  r 
Or
Req  1
4 12
Ý  17
 27 4 12
 37  27
B* R* M M  1.25x10 B12R6 m m
7 7 8 7 7
Ý cm
(8G )1/ 7

where M  mMo, MÝ 1.39x1018 m mÝ g s-1

(For disk accretion the viscous torque in the disk is equated to the
magnetic torque in from the star; Req turns out to have the same
form as above and the numerical coefficient is also similar.)
 
 Spin-up Equilibrium
eq   87  37
6 18
GM
3
R eq or Peq  2
 eq  2.2 B9 R6 m m
7 7
Ý ms

Propeller effect: If the period of the NS is smaller than Peq

then matter is not accreted onto the NS. Click here to find details.
Spin-up Line:
The fastest spin rate for a NS corresponds to dm/dt =1.
Substitute for B in terms of P & dP/dt in the above equation
Ý  37  87
Ý 
4 18
Pmin P15  0.8 R6 m
7 7  B 2 3

All binary radio pulsars lie below the spin-up line.

Many single ms pulsars are seen, and they too lie below
 this line. It is believed that
these too were spun-up in a
binary system, and either the companion was evaporated
by the pulsar or was lost in a binary collision.
 Spin-up Time

A crude model describing the time evolution of NS spin is:

d Ý(  eq )Req2

I  M
dt

  MÝR eq

2
t /I
or (t)  eq 1 e

 The spin-up time:

 87  24  17  37
 tspinup  I
MÝR eq
2  3.6x10 B R m m
6
9 Ý I45 yr
6
7
 Anomalous x-ray pulsars (AXPs)
References:
1. Mereghetti et al., 2002, Astro-ph/0205122
2. Thompson, astro-ph/0010016 & 0110679
3. Pavlov et al., 2001, Astro-ph/0112322
4. Hurley, 1999, astro-ph/9912061
5. Gaensler, 2002, astro-ph/0212086
Summary of observational properties
Five confirmed cases of AXPs as of 2004.
Pulsation period: 5--12 s.
x-ray luminosity: Lx ~ 1034 --1036 erg s-1.
PÝmeasured gives P/PÝ ~ 103.5 -- 105.5 yr.
Black-body kT < 0.5 kev + steep power-law spectrum
No radio emission.
No binarycompanion detected.

2 or 3 are associated with supernovae remnants.
 Energy source for AXPs?

• P ~ 6s &  ~ 1 s-1  EKE ~ 5x1044 erg (insufficient to explain Lx).

(So unlike normal pulsars the energy source is NOT rotational)

• Accretion is also ruled out since AXPs are not in binary systems.

The most likely source is the dissipation of magnetic field

P & dP/dt give B ~ 1014 -- 1015 Gauss.
(click here for the P-B diagram)

 Energy in B-field ~ 1045 -- 1047 erg

This is sufficient to explain Lx as resulting
from a steady decay of B-field inside NS!
 Soft gamma-ray repeaters
References:
• Thompson, astro-ph/0010016 & 0110679
• Kaspi, V., 2004, Astro-ph/0402175
• Woods, P.M., 2003, astro-ph/0304372

Summary of observational properties

• 4-6 objects are known.
(Rare events)

• All but one SGRs are in the Galactic plane (one in LMC).
(bursts are associated with young stellar population)

• The one in the LMC is in a supernova remnant.

(associated with NS or a BH)
• Three SGRs have been seen to pulse with period in
the range 5--8 s. Two of these 3 have pulsations in
x-rays during quiescence as well & are spinning down.
(almost certainly SGRs are associated with NS)

• Soft -ray and x-ray bursts with typical energy ~ 1041 erg.
Rise time ~ 10 ms & duration ~ 100 ms. Occasionally energy
Greater than 4x1044 erg. But no binary companion detected.
(Not accretion powered! KE of NS rotation too little as well)

• In 2 cases the measured P and Ý

P gives B ~10 15 Gauss.

(The energy in magnetic field ~ 1047 erg; sufficient to

power these bursts).
• Bursts repeat episodically;

could be inactive for years and
then hundreds of bursts could appear in a week.

• Generally thermal Bremsstrahlung spectrum with

kT ~ 20 - 50 kev.
Taken from:
Exploring the x-ray
Universe -- Charles &
Seward, 1995,
Cambridge U. Press

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Manchester, 2000, astro-ph/0009405

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