3D Magneto-thermal Simulations of Tangled Crustal Magnetic Field in Central Compact Objects

Abstract

Central compact objects are young neutron stars emitting thermal X-rays with bolometric luminosities $L_X$ in the range $10^{32}$-$10^{34}$ erg/s. Gourgouliatos, Hollerbach and Igoshev recently suggested that peculiar emission properties of central compact objects can be explained by tangled magnetic field configurations formed in a stochastic dynamo during the proto-neutron star stage. In this case the magnetic field consists of multiple small-scale components with negligible contribution of global dipolar field. We study numerically three-dimensional magneto-thermal evolution of tangled crustal magnetic fields in neutron stars. We find that all configurations produce complicated surface thermal patterns which consist of multiple small hot regions located at significant separations from each other. The configurations with initial magnetic energy of $2.5-10\times 10^{47}$ erg have temperatures of hot regions that reach $\approx 0.2$ keV, to be compared with the bulk temperature of $\approx 0.1$ keV in our simulations with no cooling. A factor of two in temperature is also seen in observations of central compact objects. The hot spots produce periodic modulations in light curve with typical amplitudes of $\le 9-11$ %. Therefore, the tangled magnetic field configuration can explain thermal emission properties of some central compact objects.

12 pages, 25 figures, accepted for publication ApJ on January 19, 2021

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Cited by in corpus (21)

• 3D code for MAgneto-Thermal evolution in Isolated Neutron Stars, MATINS: The Magnetic Field Formalism
• X-ray Emission from Isolated Neutron Stars revisited: 3D magnetothermal simulations
• The game of life on a magnetar crust: from $\gamma$-ray flares to FRBs
• Magnetic Field Evolution in Neutron Star Crusts: Beyond the Hall Effect
• 3D code for MAgneto-Thermal evolution in Isolated Neutron Stars, MATINS: thermal evolution and lightcurves
• 3D evolution of neutron star magnetic-fields from a realistic core-collapse turbulent topology
• Combined magnetic field evolution in neutron star cores and crusts: Ambipolar diffusion, Hall effect and Ohmic dissipation
• Isolated pulsar population synthesis with simulation-based inference
• Three-dimensional numerical simulations of ambipolar diffusion in NS cores in the one-fluid approximation: instability of poloidal magnetic field
• Accumulation of elastic strain toward crustal fracture in magnetized neutron stars
• Magnetic field sustained by the elastic force in neutron star crusts
• Confronting the neutron star population with inverse cascades
• How bright can old magnetars be? Assessing the impact of magnetized envelopes and field topology on neutron star cooling
• Measuring the Non-Axially-Symmetric Surface Temperature Distribution of the Central Compact Object in Puppis A
• Signatures of magnetic flux expulsion from neutron star cores
• Evolutionary deformation toward the elastic limit by a magnetic field confined in the neutron--star crust
• Evolution of proto-neutron stars to pulsars, magnetars and central compact objects
• Initial periods and magnetic fields of neutron stars
• Correlation of Burst Behaviour with Magnetar Age
• A post-hypercritical accretion small-scale dynamo in newborn neutron stars
• Investigating the Recursive Short X-ray Burst Behavior of Magnetars Through Crustal Interactions