On Pulsar Velocities from Neutrino Oscillations

TL;DR

This paper evaluates a neutrino oscillation-based model for pulsar velocities and finds current observational data do not support this hypothesis, challenging its viability as an explanation for pulsar proper motions.

Contribution

The study critically assesses the neutrino oscillation mechanism for pulsar kicks and demonstrates its inconsistency with observed pulsar properties.

Findings

Current data disfavor the neutrino oscillation hypothesis for pulsar velocities.

The paper discusses implications for alternative models of pulsar kicks.

Abstract

It has been recently suggested that magnetically affected neutrino oscillations inside a cooling protoneutron star, created in a supernova explosion, could explain the large proper motion of pulsars. We investigate whether this hypothesis is in agreement with the observed properties of pulsars and find that present data disfavor the suggested mechanism. The relevance of our results for other models proposed to understand the origin of pulsar velocities is also discussed.