arXiv subjects

M. Ali Alpar

Publications and source records attributed to M. Ali Alpar.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Pulsar glitches in the presence of vortex traps

Pulsar glitches are thought to originate when angular momentum is transferred to the crust of the neutron star from the superfluid enclosed within, mediated by vortex avalanches. This idea has been qualitatively validated in the existing literature by simulating a star with a small number ($\sim 10^{3}$) of superfluid vortices, subject to deceleration and uniform pinning. Here, we employ the Barnes-Hut approximation to simulate up to $10^{5}$ vortices in a reasonable time. Using the new setup, we probe glitches that originate in the presence of inhomogeneous pinning. The inner crust of a neutron star is expected to crack as the star spins down, relieving stresses and resulting in rearrangements within the crustal lattice. These regions become centres for pinning with large pinning energies. Many such vortex traps are expected to exist in mature pulsars like Vela. We simulate one such star and find that the rise of the glitch is now staggered, a clear signature of the trap network. In young to middle-aged stars like PSR J0537-6910, we expect quakes which result in new traps and also unpin the vortices in existing ones. We observe that such a configuration involving the simultaneous release of several traps could introduce a bimodality in the glitch-size distribution, a feature that has previously been reported for PSR J0537-6910. Our simulations also indicate that macroscopic inhomogeneities in the distribution of vortices could spontaneously develop in a star with uniform pinning sites.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

Binary and neutron star evolution in low-mass X-ray binaries on the evolutionary tracks of accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars

Neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) are the progenitors of millisecond pulsars. In these systems, old neutron stars (NSs) can be spun up during a long-lasting accretion phase. The discovery of accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars (AMXPs) and transitional millisecond pulsars has provided key observational insights into the connection between millisecond pulsars and LMXBs. In this work, we have investigated both the binary system and the individual NS evolution leading to AMXP properties. We use MESA to analyse the binary evolution of LMXBs, following three distinct evolutionary tracks defined by the AMXP donor types. We find that while the magnetic braking index may affect the mass-transfer history, the initial orbital period is the most influential parameter that shapes the overall binary evolution. We use the mass accretion histories estimated from these binary simulations to study the rotational evolution of NSs employing the model that can account for torque-luminosity relations and the lack of X-ray pulses from most of these systems. With reasonable model parameters, our model results are in agreement with the typical properties of AMXPs. For these AMXP sources from each evolutionary track, we have shown that the model can reproduce the NS and binary properties simultaneously. Finally, we discuss the time-scales of different evolutionary paths, as well as the conditions under which these systems could be detectable at various stages of their evolution.

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arXiv2025

Braking index of the frequently glitching PSR J0537$-$6910

The pulsar J0537$-$6910 undergoes spin-up glitches more frequently than any other known pulsar, at a rate of roughly thrice per year. Its glitches are typically large and accompanied by spin-down rate changes $\Delta\dot\nu$ that partially recover with a nearly constant positive frequency second derivative $\ddot\nu$ for the post-glitch intervals. The long-term value of $\ddot\nu$, however, is negative because $\dot\nu$ has decreased over the years of observations. We wish to determine if permanent shifts (non-relaxing parts of the glitch change $\Delta\dot\nu$ in the spin-down rate, like those observed in the Crab pulsar) can explain the long-term enhancement of the spin-down rate which results in an effective negative braking index. We demonstrate, as a proof of concept, that the actual braking index associated with the pulsar's braking torque can be n~3 if the internal superfluid torque and permanent shifts are considered. We use published RXTE and NICER data to calculate the average permanent shift per glitch needed to bring an underlying braking index $n$ to the effective long-term value n' =-1.2 inferred from the data. We use this average value as the actual permanent shift in each glitch and extract the contributions of the internal and external torques to $\ddot\nu$, under the assumption that the next glitch occurs when all glitch-induced offsets to internal torques are fully restored. We find that if the braking index of the magnetospheric torque is close to n~3, moderate permanent changes of the spin-down rate are required, similar to those inferred for the Crab pulsar. The natural mechanism to produce such permanent changes is crustquakes. Crustal failure associated with PSR J0537$-$6910 glitches can have interesting and potentially observable consequences, such as transient changes of the X-ray emission, activation of radio emission, or emission of gravitational waves.

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arXiv2024

On the lack of X-ray pulsation in most neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries

We have investigated whether the lack of X-ray pulsations from most neutron star (NS) low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) could be due to the extension of their inner disc to the NS surface. To estimate the inner disc radii, we have employed the model, recently proposed to account for the torque reversals of LMXBs. In this model, the inner disc radius depends on the spin period as well as the dipole moment and the mass inflow rate of the disc. Our model results indicate that most LMXBs have mass accretion rates above the minimum critical rates required for the inner disc to reach down to the NS surface and thereby quench the pulsed X-ray emission. For most sources X-ray pulsations are allowed when the period decreases below a certain critical value. For the same parameters, the model is also consistent with the observed X-ray luminosity ranges of the individual accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars (AMXPs). The paucity of AMXPs compared to the majority population of non-pulsing LMXBs is explained, as well as the fact that AMXPs are transient sources.

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arXiv2022

Evolution of the long-period pulsar PSR J0901-4046

The fallback disc model predicted that anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) and soft-gamma repeaters (SGRs) will evolve to isolated long period pulsars before the discovery of the first two long-period pulsars (LPPs) this year. Unlike normal radio pulsars, LPPs show transient pulsed-radio epochs with unusual and variable pulse shapes, similar to the radio behaviour of the few radio emitting AXP/SGRs. We show that the present properties of the recently discovered second LPP, PSR J0901-4046 ($P \simeq 76$ s), are obtained as a result of evolution in interaction with a fallback disc, as we had already shown for the first discovered LPP, GLEAM-X J162759.5-523504.3 ($P \simeq 1091$ s). While there is only an upper limit to the period derivative, $\dot{P}$, of GLEAM-X J162759.5-523504.3, the $\dot{P}$ of the PSR J0901-4046 has already been measured, providing better constraints for the evolutionary models. The model can produce the source properties with a dipole moment $μ\simeq 10^{30}$ G cm$^3$. The results are not sensitive to the initial pulsar period. Our results indicate that PSR J0901-4046 went through an AXP/SGR epoch at an age of a few $10^4$ yr, and is $\sim (6 - 8) \times 10^5$ yr old at present.

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arXiv2022

Evolution of the long-period pulsar GLEAM-X J162759.5-523504.3

The long-period ($P = 1091$ s) of the recently discovered pulsar GLEAM-X J162759.5-523504.3 can be attained by neutron stars evolving with fallback discs and magnetic dipole moments of a few $10^{30}$ G cm$^3$ at ages greater than $\sim 2 \times 10^5$ yr consistently with the observational upper limits to the period derivative, $\dot{P}$, and the X-ray luminosity, $L_X$, of the source. The current upper limits for $\dot{P}$ allow two alternative present states: (1) The disc is still active with ongoing accretion at a low rate such that the accretion luminosity is much less than the neutron star's cooling luminosity, which in turn is below the upper limit for $L_X$. In this scenario the spin-down will continue at $\dot{P} \sim 10^{-10}$ s s$^{-1}$ until the disc becomes inactive; the final period will be $P \sim$ a few $10^3$ s. (2) The disc is already inactive, there is no accretion. In this case the period evolution has leveled off to the observed value in the final period range. The remaining, very weak, dipole torque sustaining asymptotic spin-down at $\dot{P} \sim 4 \times 10^{-18}$ s s$^{-1}$. Long periods $P \sim$ a few $10^3$ s were predicted for the final states of soft gamma repeaters and anomalous X-ray pulsars with relatively strong dipole fields in earlier work with the fallback disc model.

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arXiv2021

On the torque reversals of 4U 1626--67

We have investigated the detailed torque-reversal behavior of 4U 1626--67 in the framework of the recently developed comprehensive model of the inner disk radius and torque calculations for neutron stars accreting from geometrically thin disks. The model can reproduce the torque -- X-ray luminosity relation across the torque reversals of 4U 1626--67. Our results imply that: (1) rotational equilibrium is reached when the inner disk radius equals the co-rotation radius, $r_\mathrm{co}$, while the conventional Alfven radius is greater than and close to $r_\mathrm{co}$, (2) both spin-up and spin-down torques are operating on either side of torque reversal, (3) with increasing accretion rate the spin-up torque associated with accretion onto the star gradually dominates the spin-down torque exerted by the disk. The torque reversals are the natural outcome of transitions between the well-defined weak-propeller and spin-up phases of the star with a stable geometrically thin accretion disk.

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arXiv2021

Glitch analysis and braking index determination of the unique source PSR J0537-6910

PSR J0537$-$6910 is the most active glitching pulsar with a glitch rate $\sim0.3$ yr $^{-1}$. We have reanalysed 45 glitches of PSR J0537$-$6910 published in the literature and have done post-glitch timing fits within the vortex creep model. Moment of inertia fractions of the superfluid regions participating in glitches are obtained for each event and the model predictions for the inter-glitch time are confronted with the observed time-scales. Similarities and differences with the glitching behaviours of the well studied Crab and Vela pulsars are highlighted. From superfluid recoupling time-scales we estimate an inner crust temperature of $T=0.9\times10^{8}$ K for PSR J0537$-$6910. It is found that PSR J0537$-$6910 glitches leave behind persistent shifts similar to those observed from the Crab pulsar. These persistent shifts are responsible for the long term increase of the spin-down rate of PSR J0537$-$6910 and the apparent negative trend in its braking. Glitch magnitudes and persistent shifts of PSR J0537$-$6910 are consistent with the scenario that this is a young pulsar in the process of developing new vortex traps. We determine a braking index $n=2.7(4)$ after glitch induced contributions to the rotational evolution have been removed.

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arXiv2021

The minimum rotation period of millisecond pulsars

A simple and natural explanation for the minimum period of millisecond pulsars follows from a correlation between the accretion rate and the frozen surface dipole magnetic field resulting from Ohmic diffusion through the neutron star crust in initial stages of accretion in low mass X-ray binaries.

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arXiv2020

The 2016 Vela glitch: a key to neutron star internal structure and dynamics

High resolution, pulse to pulse observation of the 2016 Vela glitch and its relaxation provided an opportunity to probe the neutron star internal structure and dynamics with unprecedented detail. We use the observations of this glitch to infer superfluid characteristics in the framework of the vortex creep model. The glitch rise time constraint of 12.6 seconds put stringent limits on the angular momentum exchange between the crustal superfluid and the observed crust. Together with the observed excess acceleration in the rotation rate as compared to the post-glitch equilibrium value this discriminates crustal superfluid-crust lattice and core superfluid-crustal normal matter coupling time-scales. An evident decrease in the crustal rotation rate immediately before the glitch is consistent with the formation of a new vortex trap zone that initiates the large scale vortex unpinning avalanche. Formation of vortex trap by a crust breaking quake induces short-lived magnetospheric changes. The long term post-glitch spin-down rate evolution reveals the moments of inertia and recoupling time-scales of the superfluid layers participating in the glitch and leads to an estimation of the time to the next glitch which agrees with the time interval between the 2016 and 2019 glitches. Our results are consistent with theoretical estimates of effective neutron and proton masses in the superfluid. We also constrain the vortex line-flux tube pinning energy per intersection as 2 MeV.

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arXiv2019

The Largest Crab Glitch and the Vortex Creep Model

The Crab pulsar displayed its largest glitch on 2017 November. An extended initial spin-up phase of this largest glitch was resolved, for the first time with high cadence of observations both in radio and X-rays on a time-scale of 2 days. A combination of crustquake and vortex unpinning models is invoked to account for the extended spin-up, magnitude and post-glitch relaxation characteristics of this glitch. We evaluate the extended spin-up followed by the familiar spin-down as due to the creep response to the initial induced inward motion of some vortex lines pinned to broken crustal plates moving inward towards the rotation axis, together with the common and familiar post-glitch creep response to the sudden outward motion of vortices unpinned at the glitch. Our analysis confirms that the number of unpinned vortices participating in glitches are similar in all Crab glitches, and within an order of magnitude in all glitches from all pulsars. This typical number of unpinned vortices is related to the broken plate size in quakes as triggers for vortex unpinning avalanches. The physical determinant of this universal broken plate size is in turn the critical strain angle in the neutron star crust. Occurrence of this largest Crab glitch after a relatively long inactive period is consistent with accumulation of the pinned vorticity to be tapped.

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arXiv2019

Ultra-luminous X-ray sources as super-critical propellers

We study the evolution of newborn neutron stars in high-mass X-ray binaries interacting with a wind-fed super-Eddington disk. The inner disk is regularized to a radiation-dominated quasi-spherical configuration for which we calculate the inner radius of the disk, the total luminosity of the system and the torque acting on the neutron star accordingly, following the evolution of the system through the ejector and early propeller stages. We find that the systems with $B \gtrsim 10^{13}$ G pass through a short ($\sim 20\,{\rm yr}$) ejector stage appearing as supernova impostors followed by a propeller stage lasting $\sim 10^3\,{\rm yr}$. In the super-critical propeller stage the system is still bright ($L\sim 10^{40}\,{\rm erg\, s^{-1}}$) due to the spindown power and therefore appears as an ultra-luminous X-ray source (ULX). The system evolves into pulsating ULX (PULX) when the neutron star spins down to a period ($P\sim 1$ s) allowing for accretion onto its surface to commence. Systems with lower magnetic fields, $B \sim 10^{11}$ G, pass through a long ($10^5\,{\rm yr}$) super-critical propeller stage with luminosities similar to those of the ultra-luminous super-soft sources (ULS), $L \lesssim 10^{40}\,{\rm erg\, s^{-1}}$. The equilibrium periods of these systems in the accretion stage is about $10\,{\rm ms}$, which is much smaller than the typical period range of PULX observed to date. Such systems could have a larger population, but their pulsations would be elusive due to the smaller size of the magnetosphere. Our results suggest that the ULS and some nonpulsating ULX are rapidly spinning and highly magnetized young neutron stars at the super-critical propeller stage.

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arXiv2017

Neutron Star Dynamics under Time Dependent External Torques

The two component model of neutron star dynamics describing the behaviour of the observed crust coupled to the superfluid interior has so far been applied to radio pulsars for which the external torques are constant on dynamical timescales. We recently solved this problem under arbitrary time dependent external torques. Our solutions pertain to internal torques that are linear in the rotation rates, as well as to the extremely non-linear internal torques of the vortex creep model. Two-component models with linear or nonlinear internal torques can now be applied to magnetars and to neutron stars in binary systems, with strong variability and timing noise. Time dependent external torques can be obtained from the observed spin-down (or spin-up) time series, $\dotΩ(t)$.

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arXiv2017

Minimum Glitch of the Crab Pulsar and the Crustquake as a Trigger Mechanism

We discuss the minimum glitch size of Crab observed by Espinoza et al. (2014). Modelling the crustquake as a trigger mechanism we estimate the size of the broken plate. The plate size obtained, D $\sim 100 m$ is comparable to plate size estimates for PSR J1119--6127. The plate size naturally leads to an estimate of the number of unpinned vortices involved in the glitch, $N \sim 10^{13} $. This number is of the same order in all Crab and Vela pulsar glitches. The mimimum glitch relates the constancy of all these numbers among different pulsars to the basic plate size involved in crust breaking. This in turn depends on the critical strain angle $θ_{cr}$ of the Coulomb lattice in the neutron star crust. The minimum glitch size implies $θ_{cr} \sim 10^{-1}$ in agreement with theoretical and computational estimates.

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arXiv2017

Flux-Vortex Pinning and Neutron Star Evolution

G. Srinivasan et al. (1990) proposed a simple and elegant explanation for the reduction of the neutron star magnetic dipole moment during binary evolution leading to low mass X-ray binaries and eventually to millisecond pulsars: Quantized vortex lines in the neutron star core superfluid will pin against the quantized flux lines of the proton superconductor. As the neutron star spins down in the wind accretion phase of binary evolution, outward motion of vortex lines will reduce the dipole magnetic moment in proportion to the rotation rate. The presence of a toroidal array of flux lines makes this mechanism inevitable and independent of the angle between the rotation and magnetic axes. The incompressibility of the flux-line array (Abrikosov lattice) determines the epoch when the mechanism will be effective throughout the neutron star. Flux vortex pinning will not be effective during the initial young radio pulsar phase. It will, however, be effective and reduce the dipole moment in proportion with the rotation rate during the epoch of spindown by wind accretion as proposed by Srinivasan et al. The mechanism operates also in the presence of vortex creep.

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arXiv2017

Neutron star dynamics under time dependent external torques

The two component model describes neutron star dynamics incorporating the response of the superfluid interior. Conventional solutions and applications involve constant external torques, as appropriate for radio pulsars on dynamical timescales. We present the general solution of two component dynamics under arbitrary time dependent external torques, with internal torques that are linear in the rotation rates, or with the extremely non-linear internal torques due to vortex creep. The two-component model incorporating the response of linear or nonlinear internal torques can now be applied not only to radio pulsars but also to magnetars and to neutron stars in binary systems, with strong observed variability and noise in the spin-down or spin-up rates. Our results allow the extraction of the time dependent external torques from the observed spin-down (or spin-up) time series, $\dotΩ(t)$. Applications are discussed.

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arXiv2017

Nonlinear interglitch dynamics, the braking index of the Vela pulsar and the time to the next glitch

The inter-glitch timing of the Vela pulsar is characterized by a constant second derivative of the rotation rate. This takes over after the post-glitch exponential relaxation, and is completed at about the time of the next glitch. The vortex creep model explains the second derivatives in terms of non-linear response to the glitch. We present inter-glitch timing fits to the present sample covering 16 large glitches, taking into account the possibility that in some glitches part of the step in spin-down rate may involve a "persistent shift", as observed in the Crab pulsar. Modifying the expression for the time between glitches with this hypothesis leads to better agreement with the observed inter-glitch time intervals. We extrapolate the inter-glitch model fits to obtain spin-down rates just prior to each glitch, and use these to calculate the braking index n = 2.81 +/- 0.12. The next glitch should occur around Dec. 22, 2017 +/- 197 days if no persistent shift is involved, but could occur as early as July 27, 2016 +/- 152 days if the 2013 glitch gave rise to a typical Vela persistent shift. Note added: Literally while we were submitting the first version of this paper, on Dec. 12, 2016, we saw ATel # 9847 announcing a Vela pulsar glitch which has arrived 138 days after our prediction with a persistent shift, within the 1 sigma uncertainty of 152 days.

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arXiv2017

Optical excess of dim isolated neutron stars

The optical excess in the spectra of dim isolated neutron stars (XDINs) is a significant fraction of their rotational energy loss-rate. This is strikingly different from the situation in isolated radio pulsars. We investigate this problem in the framework of the fallback disc model. The optical spectra can be powered by magnetic stresses on the innermost disc matter, as the energy dissipated is emitted as blackbody radiation mainly from the inner rim of the disc. In the fallback disc model, XDINs are the sources evolving in the propeller phase with similar torque mechanisms. In this this model, the ratio of the total magnetic work that heats up the inner disc matter is expected to be similar for different XDINs. Optical luminosities that are calculated consistently with the the optical spectra and the theoretical constraints on the inner disc radii give very similar ratios of the optical luminosity to the rotational energy loss rate for all these sources. These ratios indicate that a significant fraction of the magnetic torque heats up the disc matter while the remaining fraction expels disc matter from the system. For XDINs, the contribution of heating by X-ray irradiation to the optical luminosity is negligible in comparison with the magnetic heating. The correlation we expect between the optical luminosities and the rotational energy loss-rates of XDINs can be a property of the systems with low X-ray luminosities, in particular those in the propeller phase.

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