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arXiv · astro-ph/0611309

Production and evolution of millisecond X-ray and radio pulsars

Frederick K. Lamb
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Abstract

Observations using the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer have discovered dozens of accreting neutron stars with millisecond spin periods in low-mass binary star systems. Eighteen are millisecond X-ray pulsars powered by accretion or nuclear burning or both. These stars have magnetic fields strong enough for them to become millisecond rotation-powered (radio) pulsars when accretion ceases. Few, if any, accretion- or rotation-powered pulsars have spin rates higher than 750 Hz. There is strong evidence that the spin-up of some accreting neutron stars is limited by magnetic spin equilibrium whereas the spin-up of others is halted when accretion ends. Further study will show whether the spin rates of some accretion- or rotation-powered pulsars are or were limited by emission of gravitational radiation.

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Frederick K. Lamb. 2006-11-09. Production and evolution of millisecond X-ray and radio pulsars. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2006.08.003

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