Open AccessThe magnetosphere of an oscillating neutron star. Non‐vacuum treatment
Author(s) -
Timokhin A. N.,
BisnovatyiKogan G. S.,
Spruit H. C.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.2000.03535.x
Subject(s) - physics , magnetosphere , neutron star , magnetic dipole , oscillation (cell signaling) , dipole , quantum electrodynamics , magnetic field , neutron , astrophysics , plasma , classical mechanics , computational physics , nuclear physics , quantum mechanics , biology , genetics
We generalize a formula for the Goldreich–Julian charge density ( ρ GJ ), originally derived for a rotating neutron star, for arbitrary oscillations of a neutron star with an arbitrary magnetic field configuration under the assumption of low current density in the inner parts of the magnetosphere. As an application, we consider the toroidal oscillation of a neutron star with a dipole magnetic field and calculate the energy losses. For some oscillation modes, the longitudinal electric field cannot be cancelled by putting charged particles in the magnetosphere without the presence of a strong electric current ( j ≃ ρ GJ c × c ωr ). It is shown that the energy losses are strongly affected by plasma in the magnetosphere, and cannot be described by vacuum formulae.