Ages of radio pulsar: long-term magnetic field evolution

Abstract

We use the Bayesian approach to write the posterior probability density for the three-dimensional velocity of a pulsar and for its kinematic age. As a prior, we use the bimodal velocity distribution found in a recent article by Verbunt, Igoshev & Cator (2017). When we compare the kinematic ages with spin-down ages, we find that in general, they agree with each other. In particular, maximum likelihood analysis sets the lower limit for the exponential magnetic field decay timescale at $8$ Myr with a slight preference of $t_{\mathrm{dec}}\approx 12$ Myr and compatible with no decay at all. One of the objects in the study, pulsar B0950+08 has kinematic and cooling ages $\approx 2$ Myr which is in strong contradiction with its spin-down age $\tau \approx 17$ Myr. The 68 per cent credible range for the kinematic age is 1.2--8.0 Myr. We conclude that the most probable explanation for this contradiction is a combination of magnetic field decay and long initial period. Further timing, UV and X-ray observations of B0950+08 are required to constrain its origin and evolution better.

Accepted for publication in MNRAS on 29 October 2018 . 11 pages, 11 figures

References in corpus (16)

• galpy: A Python Library for Galactic Dynamics
• Massive runaways and walkaway stars
• On Pulsar Distance Measurements and their Uncertainties
• The observed velocity distribution of young pulsars
• Pulsar Parallaxes at 5 GHz with the Very Long Baseline Array
• Evolution of a buried magnetic field in the central compact object neutron stars
• CCOs and the hidden magnetic field scenario
• Old but still warm: Far-UV detection of PSR B0950+08
• Revisiting the birth locations of pulsars B1929+10, B2020+28,and B2021+51
• Post fall-back evolution of multipolar magnetic fields and radio pulsar activation
• Modified pulsar current analysis: probing magnetic field evolution
• The distance and luminosity probability distributions derived from parallax and flux with their measurement errors with application to the millisecond pulsar PSR J0218+4232
• A new X-ray look into four old pulsars
• Markov chain Monte Carlo population synthesis of single radio pulsars in the Galaxy
• The apparent decay of pulsar magnetic fields
• Magnetic field decay, or just period-dependent beaming?

Cited by in corpus (14)

• The observed velocity distribution of young pulsars II: analysis of complete PSR$\pi$
• Testing the fossil field hypothesis: could strongly magnetised OB stars produce all known magnetars?
• Magnetic field evolution timescales in superconducting neutron stars
• The Kick Velocity Distribution of Isolated Neutron Stars
• Braking indices of young radio pulsars: theoretical perspective
• Thermal and nonthermal emission in the optical-UV spectrum of PSR B0950+08
• On the Peculiar Rotational Evolution of PSR B0950+08
• Discovery of a Pulsar Wind Nebula around B0950+08 with the ELWA
• Three-dimensional numerical simulations of ambipolar diffusion in NS cores in the one-fluid approximation: instability of poloidal magnetic field
• A kinematically constrained kick distribution for isolated neutron stars
• Timing and Evolution of PSR B0950+08
• Pulsar Population Synthesis with Magnetorotational Evolution: Constraining the Decay of Magnetic field
• Neutron star heating vs. HST observations
• Magnetic field decay in young radio pulsars