The X-ray luminosity of the Crab pulsar does not follow its spin-down power during its largest glitch recovery
Abstract
Glitches are typical events of pulsars, observed as sudden jumps in rotational frequency nu, usually followed by a stage of recovery,in which nu and its derivative dotnu evolve to the pre-glitch value gradually. The recovery is interpreted as the result of angular momentum transfer between the inner superfluid and the outer crust. However, exactly how the recovery starts has never been observed before. Here we report the discovery of the missing link between the glitch and recovery processes in the Crab pulsar, during the first-light observation of Insight-HXMT, China's first X-ray astronomy satellite launched on June 15th, 2017. This missing link could be used to probe the equation of state and the structure of the material inside a neutron star.
- Publication:
-
42nd COSPAR Scientific Assembly
- Pub Date:
- July 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018cosp...42E3838Z