Level of Education of Students Involved
Undergraduate
Faculty Sponsor
Dr. Praveen Sharma
College
Arts and Sciences
Discipline(s)
Physics
ORCID Identifier(s)
0009-0002-0716-6508
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Symposium Date
Spring 4-25-2024
Abstract
Pulsars are rotating neutron stars with periodic bursts of radio emission. These enigmatic objects allow us to peer into matter and electromagnetic fields at their most extreme. In this project, we seek to study the evolution of a pulsar's magnetosphere. We use PLUTO, an astrophysical fluid dynamics code, to perform magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulations. As a first step, we reproduce the works of other authors simulating a stable hydrodynamical disk. We then aim to study the evolution of various types of accretion disks around neutron stars with the introduction of magnetic fields. Our work focuses on accretion characteristics, such as quasi-periodic oscillations, which are not yet well-understood, but thought to be a result of unstable equatorial flows known as "tongues."
Recommended Citation
Gilles, Nicholas, "Simulating Pulsar Magnetospheres Using Magnetohydrodynamics" (2024). Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 1279.
https://scholar.valpo.edu/cus/1279
