Kick velocity induced by magnetic dipole and quadrupole radiation

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the combined magnetic dipole and quadrupole radiation from a rapidly rotating pulsar or magnetar can impart recoil velocity, revealing that the velocity depends on the ratio and geometry of magnetic moments rather than their strength.

Contribution

It introduces a model analyzing the recoil velocity from combined magnetic dipole and quadrupole radiation, emphasizing the role of geometry over magnetic field strength.

Findings

Recoil velocity depends on the ratio and geometry of magnetic moments.

The model predicts maximum velocities slightly below observed pulsar speeds.

Strong magnetic fields do not necessarily produce high velocities.

Abstract

We examine the recoil velocity induced by the superposition of the magnetic dipole and quadrupole radiation from a pulsar/magnetar born with rapid rotation. The resultant velocity depends on not the magnitude, but rather the ratio of the two moments and their geometrical configuration. The model does not necessarily lead to high spatial velocity for a magnetar with a strong magnetic field, which is consistent with the recent observational upper bound. The maximum velocity predicted with this model is slightly smaller than that of observed fast-moving pulsars.