This WWW page is an attempt to provide a resource page containing information
on Old Neutron Stars (ONS) and a useful site where to exchange ideas. Links
to recent papers related to this topic and information on current and ongoing
theoretical and observational efforts are present.
Suggestions for improvement welcome!
Why Ons?
In the first phases following their formation, neutron stars are probably
strongly magnetized and can emit intense electromagnetic dipole radiation
at the expense of their rotational energy. These energy losses will produce
a non-negligible radiation pressure on the surrounding medium, inhibiting
any possible accretion of interstellar material. After the radiation pressure
has dropped, the flow penetrates inside the accretion radius, proceeding
unaffected until the magnetospheric radius is reached, where the magnetic
pressure becomes equal to the ram pressure of the infalling gas. At this
point accretion can continue if the centrifugal acceleration exerted on
the matter flowing along the field lines is smaller than the gravitational
acceleration: in order to have accretion from the Interstellar Medium (ISM)
a relic magnetic field B ~ 109 G and a rotational period greater
than a few seconds are needed, which are not implausible for Old Neutron
Stars (ONSs). If this condition is satisfied, ONSs should appear as weak,
soft X-ray sources, as firstly suggested by Ostriker, Rees & Silk (1970).
(Taken from Belloni et al. 1997).
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