# Neutron Star Planets: Atmospheric processes and habitability

## TL;DR

This paper explores the atmospheric processes and potential habitability of planets orbiting neutron stars, considering environmental effects like X-ray irradiation and pulsar wind, and defining a neutron star habitable zone.

## Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of neutron star planetary atmospheres and introduces the concept of a neutron star habitable zone, highlighting potential habitability conditions.

## Key findings

- Survival times of neutron star planet atmospheres vary with environment.
- Both Super-Earths around B1257+12 could be within the habitable zone.
- Observational biases may hide diverse planetary systems around neutron stars.

## Abstract

Of the roughly 3000 neutron stars known, only a handful have sub-stellar companions. The most famous of these are the low-mass planets around the millisecond pulsar B1257+12. New evidence indicates that observational biases could still hide a wide variety of planetary systems around most neutron stars. We consider the environment and physical processes relevant to neutron star planets, in particular the effect of X-ray irradiation and the relativistic pulsar wind on the planetary atmosphere. We discuss the survival time of planet atmospheres and the planetary surface conditions around different classes of neutron stars, and define a neutron star habitable zone. Depending on as-yet poorly constrained aspects of the pulsar wind, both Super-Earths around B1257+12 could lie within its habitable zone.