Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2006-06-28
Rept.Prog.Phys.69:2631,2006
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Minor changes in references. 93 pages. Reports on Progress in Physics, in press (2006)
Scientific paper
10.1088/0034-4885/69/9/R03
There has recently been growing evidence for the existence of neutron stars possessing magnetic fields with strengths that exceed the quantum critical field strength of $4.4 \times 10^{13}$ G, at which the cyclotron energy equals the electron rest mass. Such evidence has been provided by new discoveries of radio pulsars having very high spin-down rates and by observations of bursting gamma-ray sources termed magnetars. This article will discuss the exotic physics of this high-field regime, where a new array of processes becomes possible and even dominant, and where familiar processes acquire unusual properties. We review the physical processes that are important in neutron star interiors and magnetospheres, including the behavior of free particles, atoms, molecules, plasma and condensed matter in strong magnetic fields, photon propagation in magnetized plasmas, free-particle radiative processes, the physics of neutron star interiors, and field evolution and decay mechanisms. Application of such processes in astrophysical source models, including rotation-powered pulsars, soft gamma-ray repeaters, anomalous X-ray pulsars and accreting X-ray pulsars will also be discussed. Throughout this review, we will highlight the observational signatures of high magnetic field processes, as well as the theoretical issues that remain to be understood.
Harding Alice K.
Lai Dong
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