Neutron Stars in Supernovae and Their Remnants

Abstract

The magnetic fields of neutron stars have a large range (~3e10 - 1e15 G). There may be a tendency for more highly magnetized neutron stars to come from more massive stellar progenitors, but other factors must also play a role. When combined with the likely initial periods of neutron stars, the magnetic fields imply a spindown power that covers a large range and is typically dominated by other power sources in supernovae. Distinctive features of power input from pulsar spindown are the time dependence of power and the creation of a low density bubble in the interior of the supernova; line profiles in the late phases are not centrally peaked after significant pulsar rotational energy has been deposited. Clear evidence for pulsar power in objects <300 years old is lacking, which can be attributed to large typical pulsar rotation periods at birth.