Constraint on the internal structure of a neutron star from Vela pulsar glitches

TL;DR

This paper investigates how observations of glitches in the Vela pulsar can constrain the internal structure of neutron stars, especially considering the challenges in explaining the angular momentum transfer with current superfluid models.

Contribution

It explores the compatibility of pulsar glitch data with standard neutron star models, accounting for uncertainties in the dense matter equation of state.

Findings

Neutron superfluid may not carry enough angular momentum to explain Vela glitches.

Pulsar timing observations can provide constraints on the neutron star's internal structure.

Standard glitch theory faces challenges reconciling with recent superfluid coupling findings.

Abstract

Pulsars are spinning extremely rapidly with periods as short as about $1.4$ milliseconds and delays of a few milliseconds per year at most, thus providing the most accurate clocks in the Universe. Nevertheless, sudden spin ups have been detected in some pulsars like the emblematic Vela pulsar. These abrupt changes in the pulsar's rotation period have long been thought to be the manifestation of a neutron superfluid permeating the inner crust of neutron stars. However, the neutron superfluid has been recently found to be so strongly coupled to the crust that it does not carry enough angular momentum to explain the Vela data. We explore the extent to which pulsar-timing observations can be reconciled with the standard glitch theory considering the lack of knowledge of the dense-matter equation of state.