Influence of the small-scale magnetic field on the evolution of the angle between the magnetic moment and rotation axis of radio pulsars with superfluid cores

Abstract

The evolution of the angle between the magnetic moment and rotation axis of radio pulsars (inclination angle) is considered taking into account the presence of a non-dipolar magnetic field at the neutron-star surface and superfluid neutrons in the stellar interior. It is assumed that the total loss of angular momentum by the pulsar can be represented as a sum of magnetodipole and current losses. The neutron star is treated as a two-component system consisting of a charged component (including protons and electrons, as well as the crust, which is rigidly coupled with them, and normal neutrons) and a superfluid core. The components interact through scattering of degenerate electrons on magnetized Feynman-Onsager vortices. If a superfluid core is absent, then, in spite of the presence of stable equilibrium inclination angles, the rate with which these are reached is so slow that most pulsars do not have sufficient time to approach them during their lifetimes. The presence of superfluid neutrons results, first, in faster evolution of the inclination angle and, second, in the final stage of the evolution being either an orthogonal or a coaxial state. The proposed model fits the observations better in the case of small superfluid cores.