Aula Tousheck (Dip. di Fisica - Edificio G. Marconi)
Aula Tousheck
Dip. di Fisica - Edificio G. Marconi
Description
I will discuss the modelling of two aspects of the evolution of neutron stars. On the one hand, I will focus on the thermal evolution of isolated and accreting neutron stars. Its modelling requires the precise description of the microphysics inside neutron stars, in particular the composition and superfluid properties. X-ray observations provide us with surface temperature measurements and enable to probe the properties of the interior of neutron stars. On the other hand, I will present the rotational evolution of neutron stars, in particular of millisecond pulsars. These are rapidly rotating neutron stars with a lower-than-average magnetic field. They are in fact old pulsars that have been revived by the accretion of matter from a companion star. However, this process has led to the decay of their magnetic field. I will report a new modelling of this process, that, together with evolutionary constraints, enables to estimate the properties of the progenitor neutron star of currently observed millisecond pulsars.
