The influence of quantum vacuum friction on pulsars

Abstract

We firstly revisit the energy loss mechanism known as quantum vacuum friction (QVF), clarifying some of its subtleties. Then we investigate the observables that could easily differentiate QVF from the classical magnetic dipole radiation for pulsars with braking indices (n) measured accurately. We show this is specially the case for the time evolution of a pulsar's magnetic dipole direction ($\dot{\varphi }$) and surface magnetic field (${\dot{B}}_0$). As it is well known in the context of the classic magnetic dipole radiation, $n<3$ would only be possible for positive $({\dot{B}}_0/B_0+\dot{\varphi }/\tan \varphi )$, which, for instance, leads to ${\dot{B}}_0>0$ ($\dot{\varphi }>0$) when $\varphi$ ($B_0$) is constant. On the other hand, we show that QVF can result in very contrasting predictions with respect to the above ones. Finally, even in the case ${\dot{B}}_0$ in both aforesaid models for a pulsar has the same sign, for a given $\varphi$, we show that they give rise to different associated timescales, which could be another way to falsify QVF.

7 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ

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• Gravitational waves from pulsars with measured braking index
• Born-Infeld magnetars: larger than classical toroidal magnetic fields and implications for gravitational-wave astronomy
• What can PSR J1640-4631 tell us about the internal physics of this neutron star?
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• QED effects are negligible for neutron-star spin-down
• Observational Constraints on the Pulsar Wind Model: The Cases of Crab and Vela
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