Abstract
Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars that serve as powerful probes of extreme physics. To investigate how pulsars are born and evolve, I developed a population synthesis model that incorporates the latest developments in the field and the magneto-rotational evolution processes. Using large samples of radio pulsars from major surveys, the model is fitted with Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods and evaluated using high-dimensional statistical tests. The results favor an exponential magnetic-field decay model driven primarily by Ohmic dissipation, with a characteristic timescale of about 8 million years. This suggests that aging pulsars undergo significant magnetic-field decay.
I also explore how pulsars interact with their environments through bow-shock pulsar wind nebulae (BSPWNe), which form when a fast-moving pulsar creates a cometary, synchrotron-emitting structure in the interstellar medium. Using multi-wavelength observations from 16 telescopes on the Mouse, I identify a spectral break at ~3.5 GHz in the spectrum. Our modeling analysis shows that this break is not caused by synchrotron cooling or self-absorption but instead indicates a low-energy cutoff in the injected particle distribution. This supports a scenario where efficient acceleration only occurs for particles whose Larmor radius exceeds the shock width or the thickness of a magnetic reconnection layer.
Overall, the studies enhance our understanding of neutron star physics and the particle acceleration process in astrophysics.
Anyone interested is welcome to attend.