Theoretical Studies of Magnetic Degenerate Stars

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Many stellar objects are known to possess magnetic fields. In some stars, as in the case of the sun, the magnetic fields are relatively weak and chiefly concentrated in certain regions. In other stars, such as some of the white dwarfs or neutron stars, the magnetic fields may be very strong, exceeding the terrestrial magnetic field by factors of a million and more. The Principal Investigator proposes to investigate the magnetic fields found in cataclysmic binary star systems (which typically contain a white dwarf) and in neutron stars. In particular, he will study the emission of radiation, known as cyclotron emission, from the magnetic field regions of these stars. The emission arises when fast moving charged particles enter the magnetic fields and experience rotational accelerations. The PI expects that the investigation of cyclotron emission from cataclysmic binaries will improve our understanding of mass exchange between the stellar members of these systems. The investigation of cyclotron emission from neutron stars should provide information about the observed slowing down and spinning up of the rotation of these objects.