Abstract
A possible evolutionary history of neutron stars is delineated, ranging from star formation through supernova explosions, X-ray and pulsar stages to an eventual pulsar turnoff via spin alignment, or magnetic field decay. New is the emphasis that there should be two populations of pulsars, the slow and the fast one, according to their successive formation in a binary system. The two pulsar populations are related to two phenotypes of supernova remnants, of which Cas A and the Crab are the best known examples.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abt, H.A., Levy, S.G.: Astrophys. J. Supl. 30, 273 (1976)
Albada, T.S. van: Bull. Astron. Inst. Netherlands 20, 47 (1968)
Kippenhahn, R., Möllenhoff, C.: Astrophys. Space Sci. 31, 117 (1974)
Ruderman, M.A., Sutherland, P.G.: Nature Phys. Sci. 246, 93 (1973)
Levy, E.H., Rose, W.K.: Nature 250, 40 (1974)
Dearborn, D.S.P., Kozlowski, M., Schramm, D.: ibid. 261, 211 (1976)
Kundt, W.: ibid. 261, 673 (1976)
Bisnovatyi-Kogan, G.S., Popov, Yu. P., Samochin, A.A.: Astrophys. Space Sci. 41, 287 (1976)
Arnett, D., in: Proc. 8th Texas Symp. on Relativistic Astrophysics, Boston 1976
Joss, P.C., Rappaport, S.A.: Nature 264, 219 (1976); and improved at the 8th Texas Symp., Boston 1976
Kundt, W., Krotscheck, E.: The Crab nebula —a model (preprint July 1977)
Taylor, J.H., Manchester, R.N.: Astrophys. J. 215, 885 (1977)
Davies, J.G., Lyne, A.G., Seiradakis, J.H.: Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc. 179, 635 (1977)
Gott, J.R. III, Gunn, J.E., Ostriker, P.: Astrophys. J. 160, L91 (1970)
Van den Heuvel, E.P.J., in: Structure and Evolution of Close Binary Systems (eds. P. Eggleton et al.). Dordrecht: Reidel 1976; 8th Texas Symp. on Relativistic Astrophysics, Boston 1976
Kundt, W.: Phys. Lett. 57A, 195 (1976)
Kundt, W.: Nature 266, 334 (1977)
Webster, A.S., Ryle, M.: Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc. 175, 95 (1976)
Rappaport, S., Joss, P.C.: Nature 266, 123 (1977)
Rappaport, S., Joss, P.C.: ibid. 266, 683 (1977)
Helfand, D.J., Tademaru, E.: Astrophys. J. (submitted)
Helfand, D.J., Tademaru, E.: Nature 267, 131 (1977)
Lamb, D.Q., Lamb, F.K.: Astrophys. J. 204, 168 (1976)
Tammann, G.A., in: Proc. 8th Texas Symp. on Relativistic Astrophysics, Boston 1976
Flowers, E., Ruderman, M.A.: Astrophys. J. 215, 302 (1977)
Jones, P.B.: Astrophys. Space Sci. 33, 215 (1975); Astrophys. J. 209, 602 (1976); Nature 262, 116 (1976); Astrophys. Space Sci. 45, 369 (1976)
Meyer, F.: Grenzperiode der Pulsare, in: von Weizsäcker Festschrift (eds. E. Scheibe, G. Süssmann). 1972
Greenstein, G.: Astrophys. J. 208, 836 (1976)
Gullahorn, G.E., et al.: ibid. 205, L151 (1976); private communication
Becker, R.H., Kundu, M.R.: Astron. Astrophys. 38, 149 (1975)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Dedicated to my deeply honoured teacher Pascual Jordan, on occasion of his 75th anniversary
On temporary leave from: I. Institut für Theoretische Physik der Universität Hamburg
This article has profited from a large number of discussions with Eckhard Krotscheck, and from an extended correspondence with E. van den Heuvel. I should also like to thank A. Fabian, S. Gull, P. Scheuer, J. Trumper, and A. Webster for bringing recent work to my attention, and to M. Rees for attracting me to the stimulating atmosphere of his institute. Of particular help was the workshop on Binary X-ray Sources at Bad Honnef in spring 1977 founded by the W. and E. Heraeus foundation.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kundt, W. How do neutron stars evolve?. Naturwissenschaften 64, 493–498 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00483545
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00483545