No CrossRef data available.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 August 2017
The interstellar scintillation technique for measuring neutron star speeds is described and results are given for 71 radio pulsars. The mean transverse neutron star speed is 100 km s−1 and the distribution extends to 300 km s−1. The transverse speed correlates with the z velocity derived independently using distance from the galactic plane, consistent with most neutron stars having been born near the galactic plane. A correlation of transverse speed with the quantity PP ∝ (magnetic moment)2 is a general property of the neutron star population. Monte Carlo simulations of the progenitors of neutron stars show that the velocity distribution is inconsistent with the disruption of binary systems solely by symmetric supernova explosions. Either explosions are asymmetric or there are additional accelerations of neutron stars after their formation.