Testing Pulsar Thermal Evolution Theories with Observation

TL;DR

This paper discusses how recent X-ray observations of neutron stars can test and differentiate between various theories of their thermal evolution, potentially revealing properties of dense matter.

Contribution

It highlights the potential of current observational data to constrain and exclude certain neutron star cooling models, advancing understanding of dense matter properties.

Findings

Recent observations exclude nucleon and kaon direct Urca cooling.

Observations can determine neutron star composition and superfluidity.

Potential to measure stellar radius and equation of state.

Abstract

With the successful launch of Chandra and XMM/Newton X-ray space missions combined with the lower-energy band observations, time has arrived when careful comparison of thermal evolution theories of isolated neutron stars with observations will offer a better hope for distinguishing among various competing neutron star cooling theories. For instance, the latest theoretical and observational developments may already exclude both nucleon and kaon direct Urca cooling. In this way we can now have a realistic hope for determining various important properties, such as the composition, superfluidity, the equation of state and stellar radius. These developments should help us obtain deeper insight into the properties of dense matter.