Spin-Kick Correlation in Neutron Stars: Alignment Conditions and Implications

Abstract

Recent observations of pulsar wind nebulae and radio polarization profiles revealed a tendency of the alignment between the spin and velocity directions in neutron stars. We study the condition for spin-kick alignment using a toy model, in which the kick consists of many off-centered, randomly-oriented thrusts. Both analytical considerations and numerical simulations indicate that spin-kick alignment cannot be easily achieved if the proto-neutron star does not possess some initial angular momentum, contrary to some previous claims. To obtain the observed spin-kick misalignment angle distribution, the initial spin period of the neutron star must be smaller than the kick timescale. Typically, an initial period of a hundred milliseconds or less is required.

17 pages, 8 figures. Accepted by ApJ

References in corpus (4)

• Getting Its Kicks: A VLBA Parallax for the Hyperfast Pulsar B1508+55
• Features of the Acoustic Mechanism of Core-Collapse Supernova Explosions
• Standing Accretion Shocks in the Supernova Core: Effects of Convection and Realistic EOS
• Proper Motion of the Crab Pulsar Revisited

Cited by in corpus (4)

• A Precise Proper Motion for the Crab Pulsar, and the Difficulty of Testing Spin-Kick Alignment for Young Neutron Stars
• Pulsar spin-velocity alignment from single and binary neutron star progenitors
• Neutron star spin-kick velocity correlation effect on binary neutron star coalescence rates and spin-orbit misalignment of the components
• Pulsar Kicks With Modified URCA and Electrons in Landau Levels