Torsional oscillations of magnetized neutron stars with mixed poloidal-toroidal fields

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the magnetic field geometry affects the torsional oscillation frequencies in magnetized neutron stars, using realistic models and numerical solutions, revealing potential links to observed giant flares.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed modeling of magnetic field configurations and their impact on neutron star oscillation frequencies, advancing understanding of magnetar seismic activity.

Findings

Magnetic field geometry significantly influences torsional mode frequencies.

Magnetic field rearrangement can cause observable frequency evolution.

A specific magnetic configuration maximizes perturbation energy, possibly triggering giant flares.

Abstract

The quasiperiodic oscillations found in the three giant flares of soft gamma-ray repeaters observed to date have been interpreted as crustal oscillations caused by a starquake following a dramatic rearrangement of the stellar magnetic field. Motivated by these observations, we study the influence of the magnetic field geometry in the frequencies of the torsional oscillations of magnetized neutron stars. We use realistic tabulated equations of state for the core and crust of the stars and model their magnetic field as a dipole plus a toroidal component, using the relativistic Grad-Shafranov equation. The frequencies of the torsional modes are obtained by the numerical solution of the eigenvalue problem posed by the linear perturbation equations in the Cowling approximation. Our results show how the asteroseismology of these stars becomes complicated by the degeneracy in the frequencies due to the large relevant parameter space. However, we are able to propose a testable scenario in which the rearrangement of the magnetic field causes an evolution in the frequencies. Finally, we show that there is a magnetic field configuration that maximizes the energy in the perturbation at linear order, which could be related to the trigger of the giant flare.