Connecting Radio Pulsars, Magnetars, and XDINSs in a Unified Evolutionary Framework Using Simulation-based Inference
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Understanding the Galactic population of isolated neutron stars within a unified framework provides key insights into their birth properties, evolutionary pathways, and the connections between different neutron star classes. In this work, we aim to reproduce both the observed radio and quiescent X-ray emission from isolated neutron stars, including radio pulsars, magnetars, and X-ray-dim isolated neutron stars (XDINSs). We develop a comprehensive population-synthesis framework that models neutron star birth properties, their dynamical, rotational, and magnetothermal evolution, as well as radio and X-ray emission, and the selection effects of corresponding surveys. To simulate realistic X-ray spectra, we account for magnetospheric resonant cyclotron scattering and interstellar absorption. Additionally, we model the observational bias introduced by magnetar outbursts by linking the outburst rate to magnetic stresses in the stellar crust. We then employ a simulation-based inference method, namely truncated sequential neural posterior estimation, to reconstruct the birth properties, such as the initial magnetic-field distribution. We find that the Galactic neutron star population can be described by a two-component log-normal distribution of birth magnetic fields with peaks at 5 × 10 12 G and 10 14 G, respectively. We further find that the Galactic neutron star birth rate is around 3–4 per century. Our results help establish the contribution of neutron stars as central engines of powerful astrophysical transient phenomena, such as fast radio bursts, superluminous supernovae, and gamma-ray bursts.
Source: The Astrophysical Journal
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $4,499
Funders: Universidad de Alicante, UK Research and Innovation, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Generalitat de Catalunya, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Generalitat Valenciana, Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Universidad de Chile, Agencia Estatal de Investigación
Awards: G1105844351, G1272900390, CORTEX: the Center for Optimal, Real-Time Machine Studies of the Explosive Universe, G1422035950, G1624578247, G2274405149, G2478736931, G3220251042, G3565621276, G3715634343, G3857581125, G4252799099, G4525444628, G491712853, G5404395142, G5635532810, G606410516, G6088847228, G6115201310, G6117726924, G617610489, G624877701, G631013994, G7805626310, G7863371703, G7919373371, G792975244, G8296343251, G8497050386, G8539361028, G8759154207
OpenAlex ID: W7206209012