Linear Wave Beams in the Crust of a Neutron Star

The propagation of axially symmetric wave beams near the equatorial plane of a neutron star is studied. These waves are excited by a spatially bounded perturbation in the form of a transverse magnetic field applied to the inner boundary of the crust of the star. For a small ratio of the perturbed to the unperturbed magnetic field, a linear theory can be employed to solve the evolution equation. This condition is satisfied in the crust plasma of a neutron star for typical radio luminosities of pulsars. The resulting simple, exact solution in the form of linear gaussian beams exists without additional conditions on the dissipation, dispersion, and narrowness of the beams, if the velocity c _n of these waves is constant. The latter requirement is well satisfied for the plasma in neutron star crusts. The width of the gaussian beam also depends weakly on position.     

Wave Beams in a Plasma in a Transverse Magnetic Field

The propagation of axisymmetric magnetohydrodynamic waves near the equatorial plane of the crust of a neutron star that is in a transverse magnetic field is considered. These waves are excited by a spatially limited excitation in the form of a transverse magnetic field applied to the inner boundary of the neutron star's crust. The magnetic fields and electric currents excited at the stellar surface by this wave beam are determined.     

Wave Beams in an Inhomogeneous Plasma in a Transverse Magnetic Field

The propagation of axisymmetric magnetohydrodynamic waves near the equatorial plane of the crust of a neutron star in a transverse magnetic field is considered. The magnetic field is perpendicular to the equatorial plane. The magnetic fields and electric currents excited by this wave beam at the stellar surface are determined.     

Equilibrium configuration of the magnetosphere of a star loaded with accreted magnetized mass

Equilibrium configuration of the magnetosphere of a star loaded by the gravitationally accreted plasma having its own magnetic field is investigated. Axisymmetry around the star’s magnetic axis is assumed for simplicity. It is seen that two distinct configurations appear for the cases of parallel and antiparallel magnetic field of the accreted plasma with respect to the star’s magnetic moment. If the external field is antiparallel to the star’s magnetic moment, the stellar magnetosphere is confined within a spherical region surrounded by the external field with a separatric surface between them. This is an extension of the case of the spherical accretion of non-magnetic plasma dealt with thus far in connection with the mass accretion by the degenerate stars in X-ray binaries. It is noticed that the mass slides down along the field lines to the point closest to the star and is stratified hydrostatically in equilibrium to form a disk in the equatorial plane. The mass loading compresses the sphere as a whole in this case. If, on the other hand, the external field is parallel to the star’s magnetic moment, there appears a ring of magnetic neutral point in the equatorial plane. Polar field is open and extends to infinity while the low-latitude field is closed and faces the external field of opposite polarity across the neutral point. The increase of the loaded mass in this case causes a shrink of the closed field region, and the open polar flux is increased. Therefore, the transition between equilibria with small and large amount of the loaded mass requires the reconnection of magnetic lines of force, and the reconnection of the flux through the magnetic neutral ring is proposed as the mechanism of the steady or the intermittent mass leakage like the ones postulated for some X-ray bursters. Visiting Scientist supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Sciences.     

Pulsar radio emission

The theory of pulsar radio emission has been developed in a series of our papers since 1992. It was shown that pulsar radio emission is produced in the lower part of a channel of open magnetic field lines, in a region with a height h ≈ 1.1-10⁷ μ ₃₀ ^1/3 /P^4/21 cm above a magnetic cap of the neutron star (P is the pulsar’s period and μ is the star’s magnetic moment). Here, owing to vigorously occurring processes (the production of photons of curvature radiation and their annihilation into e⁺e^- pairs), two ultrarelativistic particle fluxes are formed: an electron flux moving upward and a positron flux falling onto the star’s magnetic cap. These main fluxes are accompanied by narrow strips of positron and electron fluxes of relatively low energy, the curvature emission from which is a strong coherent radio source. The present paper is a review of earlier papers, and important additions and refinements are also made. Equations are offered for the radio luminosity of a pulsar, the solid angle of the radio beam, and the magnetic moment and moment of inertia of the pulsar’s neutron star. Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 43, No. 1, pp. 147-169, January–March, 2000.     

Generation of the magnetic fields of pulsars

The influence of the effect of entrainment of superconducting protons by superfluid neutrons on the distribution of neutron vortices in a rotating neutron star is investigated. It is shown that the proton vortex clusters generated by entrainment currents create the magnetic structure of a neutron vortex. The average magnetic field induction in a neutron vortex is calculated. The presence of the magnetic field of a neutron vortex considerably alters the radius of the vortex zone. The width of the vortex-free zone at the surface of the neutron star’s core increases, reaching macroscopic values on the order of several meters. This result considerably changes earlier concepts of the distribution of neutron vortices in a neutron star. Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 43, No. 3, pp. 377-386, July–September, 2000.     

Complicated magnetic field structure of the star HD 45583

Preliminary data on the magnetic field structure of the unique magnetic star HD 45583 are obtained. The observational data are well described by a configuration of two magnetic dipoles located on opposite sides relative to the star’s center, with their axes directed roughly in a radial direction. The positive monopoles are closer to the surface and the negative, closer to the star’s center. For this reason, there appear to be two positive magnetic poles on the star’s surface but no negative poles. The need for further observations of this unique object is pointed out. Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 52, No. 1, pp. 127–133 (February 2009).     

Spin-driven changes in neutron star magnetic fields

Interactions among a neutron star’s superfluid neutrons, superconducting protons, and solid crust cause predictable spin-down and spin-up driven crustal motion and magnetic field changes. Applications and unsolved problems are discussed for millisecond pulsar evolution and properties, glitches and post-glitch responses, and transcient gamma-ray emission.     

Accretion magnetar in the close binary system 4U 2206+54

The magneto-rotational evolution of a neutron star in the massive binary system 4U 2206+54 is discussed in light of the recent discovery of its 5555 s rotational period and its average rate of spin-down. We show that this behavior of the neutron star means that its magnetic field exceeds the quantum mechanical critical limit and it is an accretion magnetar. The system’s evolution is explained by wind driven mass transfer without formation of an accretion disk. The constant character of the x-ray source indicates a steady rate of accretion and raises anew the question of the stability of the boundary of the magnetosphere of a star undergoing spherical accretion. A solution to this problem is also a key to determining the mechanism for the slowing down of the star’s rotation.     

A toy model for global magnetar oscillation

The presence of a magnetic field in a neutron star interior results in a dynamical coupling between the fluid core and the elastic crust. We consider a simple toy-model where this coupling is taken into account and compute the system’s mode oscillations. Our results suggest that the notion of pure torsional crust modes is not useful for the coupled system, instead all modes excite Alfvén waves in the core. However, we also show that among a rich spectrum of global MHD modes the ones most likely to be excited by a fractured crust are those for which the crust and the core oscillate in concert. For our simple model, the frequencies of these modes are similar to the “pure crustal” frequencies. We advocate the significant implications of these results for the attempted theoretical interpretation of QPOs during magnetar flares in terms of neutron star oscillations.      

A magnetic mechanism for halting inward protoplanet migration: I. Necessary conditions and angular momentum transfer timescales

A magnetic torque associated with the magnetic field linking a giant, gaseous protoplanet to its host pre-main-sequence star can halt inward protoplanet migration. This torque results from a toroidal magnetic field generated from the star’s poloidal (dipole) field by the twisting differential motion between the star’s rotation and the protoplanet’s revolution. Outside the corotation radius, where a protoplanet orbits slower than its host star spins, this torque transfers angular momentum from the star to the protoplanet, halting inward migration. Necessary conditions for angular momentum transfer include the requirement that the Alfvén speed v _A in the region magnetically linking a protoplanet to its host star exceeds the protoplanet’s orbital speed v _K . In addition, the timescale for Ohmic dissipation τ _D must exceed the protoplanet’s orbital period P to ensure that the protoplanet is magnetically coupled to its host star. For a Jupiter-mass protoplanet orbiting a solar-mass pre-main-sequence star, v _A >v _K and τ _D >P only when the migrating protoplanet approaches within about 0.1 AU of its host star, primarily because of the rapid drop in the strength of the magnetic field with increasing distance from the central star. Because of this restricted reach, inwardly migrating gaseous protoplanets can be expected to “pile up” very close to their central stars, as is indeed observed for extrasolar planets. The characteristic timescale required for a magnetic torque to transfer angular momentum outward from a more rapidly spinning central star to a magnetically coupled protoplanet is found to be comparable to planet-forming disk lifetimes and protoplanet migration timescales.     

Magnetic field energy as a source of the radio luminosity of quasars

Energy release in the superconducting core of a neutron star as neutron vortices move toward the boundary of the star’s core and crust is examined. It is shown that the rate of energy release is on the order of 10²⁶-10³⁰ erg/s, or sufficient to provide the radio luminosity of known pulsars. The energy release rates calculated under the assumption of asymmetric energy release are compared with observational data on the radio luminosity of 575 pulsars.     

Angular velocity glitches of the Vela pulsar in a model with “centrifugal buoyancy” of vortices

The forces acting on the solid crust of a differentially rotating neutron star are examined when a nonuniform excess of chemical potential exists. The resultant of the external forces, a stress force, is expressed in terms of a centrifugal buoyancy force and the deformation of the star’s crust under the action of this force is calculated. It is shown that there is a region within the star where the resulting stresses lead to fracture of the crust when the difference in the angular velocities of the superfluid and normal components reaches a critical value. The “centrifugal buoyancy” mechanism for generating a glitch is used to estimate the parameters of glitches in the Vela pulsar. __________ Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 50, No. 2, pp. 183–197 (May 2007).     

Complex structure of the magnetic field of the CP-Star HD142301

Models of the magnetic field of the He-w star HD142301 are constructed. Observational data are well described by the model of a dipole shifted by 0.6 stellar radii transverse to the axis. The phase dependence of the HeI λ4026? line, however, corresponds better to a model assuming the presence of four monopoles (or two dipoles) shifted by 0.4 stellar radii from the center. The distance between the monopoles in both models is comparable to the star’s radius, which indicates that the source of the magnetic field is “long” dipoles, rather than “point” dipoles.     

Ohm’s law for plasma in general relativity and Cowling’s theorem

The general-relativistic Ohm’s law for a two-component plasma which includes the gravitomagnetic force terms even in the case of quasi-neutrality has been derived. The equations that describe the electromagnetic processes in a plasma surrounding a neutron star are obtained by using the general relativistic form of Maxwell equations in a geometry of slow rotating gravitational object. In addition to the general-relativistic effect first discussed by Khanna and Camenzind (Astron. Astrophys. 307:665, 1996) we predict a mechanism of the generation of azimuthal current under the general relativistic effect of dragging of inertial frames on radial current in a plasma around neutron star. The azimuthal current being proportional to the angular velocity ω of the dragging of inertial frames can give valuable contribution on the evolution of the stellar magnetic field if ω exceeds 2.7×10¹⁷(n/σ) s⁻¹ (n is the number density of the charged particles, σ is the conductivity of plasma). Thus in general relativity a rotating neutron star, embedded in plasma, can in principle generate axial-symmetric magnetic fields even in axisymmetry. However, classical Cowling’s antidynamo theorem, according to which a stationary axial-symmetric magnetic field can not be sustained against ohmic diffusion, has to be hold in the general-relativistic case for the typical plasma being responsible for the rotating neutron star.     

Frequency spectrum of toroidal Alfvén mode in a neutron star with Ferraro’s form of nonhomogeneous poloidal magnetic field

Using the energy variational method of magneto-solid-mechanical theory of a perfectly conducting elastic medium threaded by magnetic field, the frequency spectrum of Lorentz-force-driven global torsional nodeless vibrations of a neutron star with Ferraro’s form of axisymmetric poloidal nonhomogeneous internal and dipole-like external magnetic field is obtained and compared with that for this toroidal Alfvén mode in a neutron star with homogeneous internal and dipolar external magnetic field. The relevance of considered asteroseismic models to quasi-periodic oscillations of the X-ray flux during the ultra powerful outbursts of SGR 1806−20 and SGR 1900+14 is discussed.     

RX J1856.5-3754 as a possible strange star candidate

RX J1856.5-3754 has been proposed as a strange star candidate due to its very small apparent radius measured from its X-ray thermal spectrum. However, its optical emission requires a much larger radius and thus most of the stellar surface must be cold and undetectable in X-rays. In the case the star is a neutron star such a surface temperature distribution can be explained by the presence of a strong toroidal field in the crust (Pérez-Azorín et al.: Astron. Astrophys. 451, 1009 (2006); Geppert et al.: Astron. Astrophys. 457, 937 (2006)) We consider a similar scenario for a strange star with a thin baryonic crust to determine if such a magnetic field induced effect is still possible. This work was partially supported by PAPIIT, UNAM, grant IN119306. J.A.H. studies at UNAM and travel to London are covered by fellowships from UNAM’s Dirección General de Estudios de Posgrado.     

Composite model for the magnetic field of HD 21699

A model is constructed for the magnetic field of the He-weak CP star HD 21699. This star has the field structure of a dipole displaced by 0.4 radii from the center perpendicular to its axis. The magnetic poles appear to be close to one another on the surface; they are separated by 55°, not by 180° as in the case of a central dipole. The phase dependences of the equivalent widths of He and Si lines have extrema at the phases corresponding to passage through the visible meridian of zero magnetic field between the magnetic poles. At the magnetic poles, the intensity of the helium lines is maximal and of the silicon lines, minimal. The silicon abundance is maximal in the regions where the magnetic field is predominantly tangential to the star’s surface. Because of averaging over the visible hemisphere and owing to the closeness of the magnetic poles, only one wave of variation in the intensity of the spectral lines of these chemical elements, one wave of photometric variability, and an average surface magnetic field Bs are observed. __________ Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 50, No. 3, pp. 441–451 (August 2007).     

Natural MHD oscillations of a neutron star

Natural, low-frequency, hydromagnetic oscillations of an isolated, nonrotating neutron star, which are localized in the peripheral crust, the structure of which is determined by the electron-nuclear plasma (the Ae phase), are studied. The plasma medium of the outer crust is treated as a homogeneous, infinitely conducting, incompressible continuum, the motions of which are determined by the equations of magnetohydrodynamics. In the approximation of a constant magnetic field inside the crust (the magnetic field outside the star is assumed to have a dipole structure), the spectrum of normal poloidal and toroidal hydromagnetic oscillations, due to presumed residual fluctuations of flow and their associated fluctuations in magnetic field strength, is calculated. Numerical estimates given for the periods of MHD oscillations fall in the range of periods of radio pulsar emission, indicating a close connection between the residual hydromagnetic oscillations and the electromagnetic activity of neutron stars. Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 40, No. 1, pp. 77–86, January–March, 1997.     

Spots and active regions on the emission-line, red dwarf star v 775 her

Quasi-simultaneous photoelectric and spectroscopic observations of the active spotted star V 775 Her have been made for the first time and showed an increase in the equivalent width of the pure emission in the H_a line with a decrease in the star’s brightness. Such an increase was due to an increase in electron density in the active regions and demonstrates a connection between active regions and cool spots. The system’s photometric variability is fully described within the framework of a zonal model. The spotted regions occupy up to 42% of the star’s total surface if the temperature difference between the quiet photosphere and a spot is about 900 K. The ratio of the masses of the components of V 775 Her is estimated for the first time. Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 43, No. 3, pp. 339-351, July–September, 2000.