Neutron Stars in Supernovae and Their Remnants

TL;DR

This paper reviews the magnetic fields, origins, and power contributions of neutron stars in supernovae, highlighting their diverse magnetic strengths, potential progenitor links, and observational challenges in detecting pulsar influence.

Contribution

It synthesizes current understanding of neutron star magnetic fields, their progenitors, and the impact of pulsar spindown on supernova evolution, emphasizing observational limitations.

Findings

Magnetic fields of neutron stars range from 3e10 to 1e15 G.

Pulsar spindown power influences supernova remnants but is often not directly observable in young objects.

Large initial pulsar periods may explain the lack of early pulsar power evidence.

Abstract

The magnetic fields of neutron stars have a large range (~3e10 - 1e15 G). There may be a tendency for more highly magnetized neutron stars to come from more massive stellar progenitors, but other factors must also play a role. When combined with the likely initial periods of neutron stars, the magnetic fields imply a spindown power that covers a large range and is typically dominated by other power sources in supernovae. Distinctive features of power input from pulsar spindown are the time dependence of power and the creation of a low density bubble in the interior of the supernova; line profiles in the late phases are not centrally peaked after significant pulsar rotational energy has been deposited. Clear evidence for pulsar power in objects <300 years old is lacking, which can be attributed to large typical pulsar rotation periods at birth.