Journal
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL
Volume 543, Issue 2, Pages 987-994Publisher
IOP Publishing Ltd
DOI: 10.1086/317121
Keywords
dense matter; magnetic fields; pulsars : individual (Crab pulsar); stars : magnetic fields; stars : neutron
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Gravitational, magnetic, and superfluid forces can stress the crust of an evolving neutron star. Fracture of the crust under these stresses could affect the star's spin evolution and generate high-energy emission. We study the growth of strain in the crust of a spinning down, magnetized neutron star and examine the initiation of crust cracking (a starquake). In preliminary work in 1998 we studied a homogeneous model of a neutron star. Here we extend this work by considering a more realistic model of a solid, homogeneous crust a afloat on a liquid core. In the limits of astrophysical interest, our new results qualitatively agree with those from the simpler model: the stellar crust fractures under shear stress at the rotational equator, matter moves to higher latitudes, and the star's oblateness is reduced. Magnetic stresses favor faults directed toward the magnetic poles. Thus our previous conclusions concerning the star's spin response still hold; namely, asymmetric redistribution of matter excites damped precession, which could ultimately lead to an increase in the spin-down torque. Starquakes associated with glitches could explain the permanent offsets in period derivative observed to follow glitches in at least three pulsars.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available