Dong Lai

Physics of strongly magnetized neutron stars

There has recently been growing evidence for the existence of neutron stars possessing magnetic fields with strengths that exceed the quantum critical field strength of 4.4 × 1013 G, at which the cyclotron energy equals the electron rest mass. Such evidence has been provided by new discoveries of radio pulsars having very high spin-down rates and by observations of bursting gamma-ray sources termed magnetars. This paper will discuss the exotic physics of this high-field regime, where a new array of processes becomes possible and even dominant and where familiar processes acquire unusual properties. We review the physical processes that are important in neutron star interiors and magnetospheres, including the behaviour of free particles, atoms, molecules, plasma and condensed matter in strong magnetic fields, photon propagation in magnetized plasmas, free-particle radiative processes, the physics of neutron star interiors and field evolution and decay mechanisms. Application of such processes in astrophysical source models, including rotation-powered pulsars, soft gamma-ray repeaters, anomalous x-ray pulsars and accreting x-ray pulsars will also be discussed. Throughout this review, we will highlight the observational signatures of high magnetic field processes, as well as the theoretical issues that remain to be understood.

Matter in strong magnetic fields

The properties of matter are drastically modified by strong magnetic fields,

Pulsar Jets: Implications for Neutron Star Kicks and Initial Spins

B\ensuremath{\gg}{m}_{e}^{2}{e}^{3}c/{\ensuremath{\Elzxh}}^{3}=2.35\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{9}\mathrm{G}

Cold equation of state in a strong magnetic field - Effects of inverse beta-decay

(1\mathrm{G}{=10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}\mathrm{T}),

Ellipsoidal figures of equilibrium: Compressible models

as are typically found on the surfaces of neutron stars. In such strong magnetic fields, the Coulomb force on an electron acts as a small perturbation compared to the magnetic force. The strong-field condition can also be mimicked in laboratory semiconductors. Because of the strong magnetic confinement of electrons perpendicular to the field, atoms attain a much greater binding energy compared to the zero-field case, and various other bound states become possible, including molecular chains and three-dimensional condensed matter. This article reviews the electronic structure of atoms, molecules, and bulk matter, as well as the thermodynamic properties of dense plasma, in strong magnetic fields,

Magnetically Driven Warping, Precession, and Resonances in Accretion Disks

{10}^{9}\mathrm{G}\ensuremath{\ll}B\ensuremath{\lesssim}{10}^{16}\mathrm{G}.

Gravitational radiation from rapidly rotating nascent neutron stars

The focus is on the basic physical pictures and approximate scaling relations, although various theoretical approaches and numerical results are also discussed. For a neutron star surface composed of light elements such as hydrogen or helium, the outermost layer constitutes a nondegenerate, partially ionized Coulomb plasma if

Atmospheres and spectra of strongly magnetized neutron stars — II. The effect of vacuum polarization

B\ensuremath{\lesssim}{10}^{15}

Neutron Star Kicks in Isolated and Binary Pulsars: Observational Constraints and Implications for Kick Mechanisms

G (at temperature