Speaker

Phil Landry, PhD Candidate

Abstract

A pulsar is a magnetized, spinning neutron star which discharges beams of radio emission from its magnetic poles. Pulsars have extremely stable rotational periods and make excellent natural clocks. For example, though conservation of momentum dictates that it spin down as it radiates, the Crab pulsar takes a hundred thousand years to lose just one second. However, even the most stable pulsars are often subject to abrupt small spin-up events, known as glitches. Sporadic and short-lived, glitches are of uncertain origin, but are likely tied to internal processes in the neutron star. In this talk, I will explain how star-quakes, triggered by the sudden shattering of the neutron star's rigid crust, may cause pulsar glitches.

Further Details

The talk is from 12:30 to 1:30 pm. Snacks will be provided at 12:00 pm. Make sure to follow the Graduate Seminar Series on Facebook [1].