Multipolar magnetic fields in neutron stars

Journal Article · Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991 · Astrophysical Journal; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/186053· OSTI ID:5393766

Krolik, J H ^[1]

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1. Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (USA)

The small periods and period derivatives of millisecond pulsars permit interesting upper bounds to be placed on the strength of multipole components in their magnetic fields if the loss of rotational energy may be approximated by vacuum electromagnetic radiation formulas. The surface field strength of millisecond pulsars may be as high as about 10 to the 12th G if the dominant multipole component is l not less than 3. Significant multipole moments may help explain the unusual pulse morphology of millisecond pulsars. If the magnetic fields in gamma-ray burst sources (old neutron stars ) have the same evolutionary history as in millisecond pulsars, the about 10 to the 12th G local fields observed in several gamma-ray bursts must be due to multipole moments with l not less than 3. 31 refs.

• OSTI ID: 5393766
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal; (United States), Vol. 373; Other Information: L69-L72; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
NEUTRON STARS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
COSMIC GAMMA BURSTS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ENERGY LOSSES
LIMITING VALUES
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
MAGNETIC MOMENTS
PULSARS
STAR EVOLUTION
COSMIC RADIATION
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LOSSES
PRIMARY COSMIC RADIATION
RADIATIONS
STARS
640102* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources