Large Mixing Angle Sterile Neutrinos and Pulsar Velocities

Abstract

We investigate the momentum given to a protoneutron star, the pulsar kick, during the first 10 seconds after temperature equilibrium is reached. Using a model with two sterile neutrinos obtained by fits to the MiniBoone and LSND experiments there is a large mixing angle, and the effective volume for emission is calculated. Using formulations with neutrinos created by URCA processes in a strong magnetic field, so the lowest Landau level has a sizable probability, we find that with known paramenters the asymmetric sterile neutrino emissivity might account for large pulsar kicks.