Population synthesis studies of isolated neutron stars with magnetic field decay

S. B. Popov, J. A. Pons, J. A. Miralles, P. A. Boldin, B. Posselt

Published 2009-10-12, updated 2009-10-14Version 2

We perform population synthesis studies of different types of neutron stars (thermally emitting isolated neutron stars, normal radio pulsars, magnetars) taking into account the magnetic field decay and using results from the most recent advances in neutron star cooling theory. For the first time, we confront our results with observations using {\it simultaneously} the Log N -- Log S distribution for nearby isolated neutron stars, the Log N -- Log L distribution for magnetars, and the distribution of radio pulsars in the $P$ -- $\dot P$ diagram. For this purpose, we fix a baseline neutron star model (all microphysics input), and other relevant parameters to standard values (velocity distribution, mass spectrum, birth rates ...), allowing to vary the initial magnetic field strength. We find that our theoretical model is consistent with all sets of data if the initial magnetic field distribution function follows a log-normal law with $<\log (B_0/[G])>\sim 13.25$ and $\sigma_{\log B_0}\sim 0.6$. The typical scenario includes about 10% of neutron stars born as magnetars, significant magnetic field decay during the first million years of a NS life (only about a factor of 2 for low field neutron stars but more than an order of magnitude for magnetars), and a mass distribution function dominated by low mass objects. This model explains satisfactorily all known populations. Evolutionary links between different subclasses may exist, although robust conclusions are not yet possible.