The Axial Anomaly and Large Pulsar Kicks

Abstract

Topological vector currents have gained interest recently with their possible verification at RHIC through the Charge Separation Effect and the Chiral Magnetic Effect. Much work has been done in understanding the role of topological vector currents in astrophysics, specifically in the interiors of neutron stars and quark stars. We will discuss a recent aspect of this work regarding pulsar kicks. A significant percentage of the pulsar population is known to have velocities above 1000 km/s, but a suitable explanation for these velocities does not exist. We will detail how topological currents may be responsible for these large kicks and discuss why the mechanism is successful where others fail.