On the effect of the variation of velocity fields in pulsars

TL;DR

This paper explores how variations in pulsar velocity fields, caused by glitches and vortex dynamics, lead to non-stationary magnetic fields with multipole components, affecting observable phenomena like radio pulse changes and magnetar activity.

Contribution

It demonstrates that pulsar velocity field variations induce multipole magnetic components, challenging the assumption of stationary magnetic dipole fields during glitches.

Findings

Magnetic dipole fields cannot remain stationary during velocity field variations.

Emergence of multipole magnetic components correlates with increased spark frequency.

Velocity field variations influence pulsar radio emission and magnetar phenomena.

Abstract

Glitches are sudden spin-up events of pulsars and are usually thought to be induced by unpinning of neutron superfluid vortices in pulsar crusts. Unpinning and repinning of superfluid vortices, and even thermoelectric effects induced by the deposited heat released during glitches, may vary the velocity fields in pulsars. We show that the generally invoked magnetic dipole fields of pulsars cannot remain stationary during the variation of the velocity fields, so that multipole components must be generated. We argue that the increase of the spark frequency of periodic radio pulses is the indicator for the emergence of the multipole components. Interpretations of pulsar nulling, rebrightening of radio-quiet magnetars, differences between Crab and Vela pulsars after glitches, and extra-galactic fast radio burst-like events from SGR 1935+2154 have been proposed based on the influence of the variation of the velocity field on the magnetic field.