Transient Phenomena from Gas Erupting Neutron Stars

Starquakes probably occur in rapidly spinning or ultra high field neutron stars. In this article, we argue that highly compressed gas containing electron-positron pairs could evaporate and erupt from inside the neutron star when a crack forms and then heals during a starquake. Under the influence of the existing oscillation modes of the star, the crack may have sufficiently large size and long lifetime. An appropriate amount of gas can erupt into the magnetosphere with relativistic and nearly uniform velocity, producing various transient and bursting phenomena.

Automated summary

Starquakes are likely to occur in rapidly spinning or ultra high field neutron stars. This article suggests that during a starquake, highly compressed gas containing electron-positron pairs may evaporate and erupt from inside the neutron star, causing various transient and bursting phenomena.