Public Release: 

Southampton researchers find a glitch' in pulsar 'glitch' theory

University of Southampton


IMAGE: The background shows the Vela supernova remnant at optical wavelengths with location of the Vela pulsar indicated. The inset shows an artist's impression of the pulsar's interior, and the interaction... view more

Credit: Credit: CTIO/AURA/NSF



Pulsars rotate at extremely stable speeds, but occasionally they speed up in brief events described as 'glitches' or 'spin-ups'. The prevailing theory is that these events arise as a rapidly spinning superfluid within the star transfers rotational energy to the star's crust, the component that is tracked by observations. However, Southampton academics have used a mathematical model to disprove this.


"This analogy describes the concept behind the accepted theory of why pulsars suddenly increase speed or 'spin-up'. However, our research shows that these pulsar glitches are too large to be explained in this way. The amount of superfluid, or 'soup', available in the crust of a pulsar is too small to cause the kind of friction needed to create this effect."



