Abstract
A popular interpretation of the period versus period derivative distribution of the majority of radio pulsars is that the underlying neutron stars are born rapidly spinning, with surface magnetic fields of 1012–1013 G that decay exponentially on a timescale of 106–107 yr (ref. 1). A new class of radio pulsing neutron stars with rapid rotation periods, <11ms, but low magnetic fields, 108–1010 G, may have been spun-up (recycled) by the accretion of material from a binary companion2–7. Compelling support for this comes from the fact that in several cases the pulsar is in a binary system with a degenerate companion, the burnt-out remains of the mass donor6–8. In those cases where the pulsar is single, it seems likely that the binary orbit has been disrupted. The rotation period of the recently discovered 3.05-ms pulsar PSR1821–24 in the globular cluster M28 (ref. 9) appears to violate the minimum possible from spin-up by accretion, for the inferred magnetic fied strength of 2.3 x 109 G (ref. 10). In addition, the inferred magnetic field strength of 5x1011G of PSR1951+32, in the supernova remnant CTB80 (ref. 11), is low when compared to the spin-down age of ∼105yr (ref. 12), suggesting perhaps that not all neutron stars are born with magnetic fields >1012G. We point out here that these apparent contradictions arise because the derivation of the previously used spin-up limit does not take into account the domination of the inner accretion disk by radiation pressure. The correct relation depends on the underlying assumptions about the viscosity in the inner disk and how the accretion disk interacts with the magnetosphere.
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White, N., Stella, L. The spin histories of PSR1821 –24 in M28 and PSR1951 + 32 in CTB80. Nature 332, 416–418 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1038/332416a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/332416a0
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