Exploring Nuclear Forces with Pulsar Glitch Observations

We connect nuclear forces to one of the most notable irregular behaviors observed in pulsars, already detected in approximately 6% of known pulsars, with increasingly accurate data expected from upcoming high-precision timing instruments both on the ground and in space. Built on Shang & Li, we c...

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Main Authors: Zhonghao Tu, Ang Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2025-01-01
Series:The Astrophysical Journal
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adc80e
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author Zhonghao Tu
Ang Li
author_facet Zhonghao Tu
Ang Li
author_sort Zhonghao Tu
collection DOAJ
description We connect nuclear forces to one of the most notable irregular behaviors observed in pulsars, already detected in approximately 6% of known pulsars, with increasingly accurate data expected from upcoming high-precision timing instruments both on the ground and in space. Built on Shang & Li, we conduct a case study on the 2000 glitch of the Vela pulsar. For our purpose, we adopt the relativistic mean field (RMF) model as the theoretical many-body framework to describe nuclear systems. We refit three representative RMF parameter sets (DD-ME2, PKDD, and NL3), considering the uncertainties in nuclear matter saturation properties. Utilizing the resulting star structure, composition, and nucleon properties in the medium obtained in a consistent manner, we calculate the pinning energy of the superfluid vortex in the nuclear lattice in the inner crust. This leads to the evolution of an associated pinning force that acts on the vortex, which can be confronted with the observed glitch amplitude and short time relaxation in the 2000 Vela glitch event, following the snowplow model of the pulsar glitch. We discuss how the vortex configuration and pinning properties depend on the nuclear parameters and find an interesting and dominant role of the nuclear symmetry energy slope in pinning strength.
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spelling doaj-art-7e81165a5bd84313af06cf7708ffa4172025-08-20T02:16:13ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572025-01-01984220010.3847/1538-4357/adc80eExploring Nuclear Forces with Pulsar Glitch ObservationsZhonghao Tu0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6836-9339Ang Li1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9849-3656Department of Astronomy, Xiamen University , Xiamen, Fujian 361005, People’s Republic of China ; liang@xmu.edu.cnDepartment of Astronomy, Xiamen University , Xiamen, Fujian 361005, People’s Republic of China ; liang@xmu.edu.cnWe connect nuclear forces to one of the most notable irregular behaviors observed in pulsars, already detected in approximately 6% of known pulsars, with increasingly accurate data expected from upcoming high-precision timing instruments both on the ground and in space. Built on Shang & Li, we conduct a case study on the 2000 glitch of the Vela pulsar. For our purpose, we adopt the relativistic mean field (RMF) model as the theoretical many-body framework to describe nuclear systems. We refit three representative RMF parameter sets (DD-ME2, PKDD, and NL3), considering the uncertainties in nuclear matter saturation properties. Utilizing the resulting star structure, composition, and nucleon properties in the medium obtained in a consistent manner, we calculate the pinning energy of the superfluid vortex in the nuclear lattice in the inner crust. This leads to the evolution of an associated pinning force that acts on the vortex, which can be confronted with the observed glitch amplitude and short time relaxation in the 2000 Vela glitch event, following the snowplow model of the pulsar glitch. We discuss how the vortex configuration and pinning properties depend on the nuclear parameters and find an interesting and dominant role of the nuclear symmetry energy slope in pinning strength.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adc80eNeutron starsHigh energy astrophysicsPulsars
spellingShingle Zhonghao Tu
Ang Li
Exploring Nuclear Forces with Pulsar Glitch Observations
The Astrophysical Journal
Neutron stars
High energy astrophysics
Pulsars
title Exploring Nuclear Forces with Pulsar Glitch Observations
title_full Exploring Nuclear Forces with Pulsar Glitch Observations
title_fullStr Exploring Nuclear Forces with Pulsar Glitch Observations
title_full_unstemmed Exploring Nuclear Forces with Pulsar Glitch Observations
title_short Exploring Nuclear Forces with Pulsar Glitch Observations
title_sort exploring nuclear forces with pulsar glitch observations
topic Neutron stars
High energy astrophysics
Pulsars
url https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adc80e
work_keys_str_mv AT zhonghaotu exploringnuclearforceswithpulsarglitchobservations
AT angli exploringnuclearforceswithpulsarglitchobservations