Implications of the Discovery of Millisecond Pulsar in SN 1987A

Abstract

From the observation of a millisecond pulsar in SN 1987A, the following implications are obtained. 1) The pulsar spindown in SN 1987A is caused by radiating gravitational waves rather than by magnetic dipole radiation and/or relativistic pulsar winds. 2) A mildly deformed shock wave would be formed at the core-collapse and explosion in SN 1987A, which is consistent with the conclusion given in Nagataki (2000). 3) The gravitational waves from the pulsar should be detected in several years using a Fabry-Perot-Michelson interferometer as the gravitational detector, such as LIGO and TAMA. 4) The neutrino oscillation model is not a promising model for the explanation of the kick velocity of the pulsar in SN 1987A. The hydrodynamical instability model is more favored.