Pulsar Acceleration by Asymmetric Emission of Sterile Neutrinos
Abstract
A convincing explanation for the observed pulsar large peculiar velocities is still missing. We argue that any viable particle physics solution would most likely involve the resonant production of a noninteracting neutrino νs of mass mνs~20-50 keV. We propose a model where anisotropic magnetic field configurations strongly bias the resonant spin flavor precession of tau antineutrinos into νs. For internal magnetic fields Bint>~1015 G, a ντ-νs transition magnetic moment of the order of 10-12 Bohr magnetons is required. The asymmetric emission of νs from the core can produce sizable natal kicks and account for recoil velocities of several hundred kilometers per second.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- March 2001
- DOI:
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/0006285
- Bibcode:
- 2001ApJ...549.1076N
- Keywords:
-
- Elementary Particles;
- Stars: Pulsars: General;
- Stars: Neutron;
- Stars: Supernovae: General;
- Astrophysics;
- High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
- E-Print:
- 14 pages, AASTEX, 2 figures (uses epsfig). Minor typos corrected. Added acknowledgments to the funding institutes BID and Colciencias