Observational Consequences of Topological Currents in Neutron Stars

Abstract

We argue that topological vector currents may be the source of many phenomena in neutron stars: kicks, jets, toroidal fields and magnetic helicity. Topological vector currents exist because of the P-symmetry violation of the weak interaction. Kicks and helicity are both objects that transform as pseudovectors and thus require P-symmetry violation to manifest themselves. This symmetry argument is supported numerically; topological currents provide transfer enough momentum to describe even the largest of kicks and can generate large toroidal fields that create helicity. An observational signature of currents is a faint left circular polarization in the X-rays in the wake of the neutron star that may require high precision polarimetry to see.