Strengthening the bounds on the r-mode amplitude with X-ray observations of millisecond pulsars

Understand

r-mode oscillations have been shown to have a significant potential to constrain the composition of fast spinning neutron stars.

• Due to their high rotation rates, millisecond pulsars (MSPs) provide a unique platform to constrain the properties of such oscillations, if their surface temperatures can be inferred.
• We present the results of our investigations of archival X-ray data of a number of MSPs, as well as recent XMM-Newton observations of PSR J1810+1744 and PSR J2241-5236.
• Using the neutron star atmosphere (NSA) model and taking into account various uncertainties, we present new bounds on the surface temperature of these sources.