Schwinger Pair Production and Vacuum Birefringence around Highly Magnetized Neutron Stars

Abstract

Abstract: Highly magnetized neutron stars have magnetic fields of order of the critical field and can lead to measurable QED effects. We consider the Goldreich–Julian pulsar model with supercritical magnetic fields, induced subcritical electric fields, and a period of milliseconds. We then study the strong field physics, such as Schwinger pair production and the vacuum birefringence including the wrench effect, whose X-ray polarimetry will be observed in future space missions. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd. 2023. ISSN 1063-7729, Astronomy Reports, 2023, Vol. 67, Suppl. 2, pp. S122–S128. Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2023.