Related papers: Quarks and Quakes
Soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs) are widely understood as slowly rotating isolated neutron stars. Their generally large spin-down rates, high magnetic fields, and strong outburst energies render them different from ordinary pulsars. In a few…
Anomalous X-ray Pulsars (AXPs) and Soft Gamma-Ray Repeaters (SGRs) are young neutron stars (NSs) characterized by high X-ray quiescent luminosities, outbursts, and, in the case of SGRs, sporadic giant flares. They are believed to be powered…
Glitches are sudden changes in rotation frequency and spin-down rate, observed from pulsars of all ages. Standard glitches are characterized by a positive step in angular velocity ($\Delta\Omega$ $ > $ $0$) and a negative step in the…
It is shown that strange quark matter (SQM) objects, stars, and planets, can very efficiently convert the mechanical energy into hadronic energy when they oscillate. This is because the mass density at the edge of SQM objects,…
P-stars are compact stars made of up and down quarks in $\beta$-equilibrium with electrons in a chromomagnetic condensate. We discuss p-stars endowed with super strong dipolar magnetic field which, following consolidated tradition in…
Magnetars are neutron stars with superstrong magnetic fields which can exceed 1e15 G. Some magnetars (the so-called soft gamma-repeaters) demonstrate occasionally very powerful processes of energy release, which result in exceptionally…
Some accreting neutron stars and young stars show unexplained episodic flares in the form of quasi-periodic oscillations or recurrent outbursts. In a series of two papers we present new work on an instability that can lead to episodic…
Pulsar glitches-the sudden spin-up in the rotational frequency of a neutron star-suggest the existence of an angular-momentum reservoir confined to the inner crust of the neutron star. Large and regular glitches observed in the Vela pulsar…
Young pulsars deviate from a perfectly regular spin-down by two non-deterministic phenomena: impulsive glitches and timing noise. Both phenomena are interesting per se, and may provide insights into the superfluid properties of neutron…
Following some of the recent articles on hole super-conductivity and related phenomena by Hirsch \cite{H1,H2,H3}, a simple model is proposed to explain the observed low surface magnetic field of the expected quark stars. It is argued that…
We investigate the dynamical behavior of strange quark matter (SQM) objects, such as stars and planets, when subjected to radial oscillations induced by tidal interactions in stellar systems. Our study demonstrates that SQM objects can…
The high speeds seen in rapidly rotating pulsars after supernova explosions present a longstanding puzzle in astrophysics. Numerous theories have been suggested over the years to explain this sudden "kick" imparted to the neutron star, yet…
Observations of pulsar glitches may provide insights on the internal physics of neutron stars and recent studies show how it is in principle possible to constrain pulsar masses with timing observations. The reliability of these estimates…
The key point of studying AXPs/SGRs (anomalous X-ray pulsars/soft gamma-ray repeaters) is relevant to the energy budget. Historically, rotation was thought to be the only free energy of pulsar until the discovery of accretion power in X-ray…
There are currently two well-accepted models that explain how pulsars exhibit glitches, sudden changes in their regular rotational spin-down. According to the starquake model, the glitch healing parameter, Q, which is measurable in some…
In the Quark-Nova model, AXPs are quark stars surrounded by a degenerate iron-rich Keplerian ring (a few stellar radii away). AXP bursts are caused by accretion of chunks from the inner edge of the ring following magnetic field penetration.…
To explain the currently observed accelerated expansion of the universe, a large number of different theoretical models are presently being discussed. In one way or another, all of these contain `new physics', though at different levels.…
Instabilities and strong dynamical interactions between several giant planets have been proposed as a possible explanation for the surprising orbital properties of extrasolar planetary systems. In particular, dynamical instabilities would…
Pulsars are highly magnetized rotating neutron stars with a very stable rotation speed. Irrespective of their stable rotation rate, many pulsars have been observed with the sudden jump in the rotation rate, which is known as pulsar glitch.…
Pulsars undergoing crustquake release strain energy, which can be absorbed in a small region inside the inner crust of the star and excite the free superfluid neutrons therein. The scattering of these neutrons with the surrounding pinned…