Parameter estimation of a two-component neutron star model with spin wandering

Abstract

ABSTRACT It is an open challenge to estimate systematically the physical parameters of neutron star interiors from pulsar timing data while separating spin wandering intrinsic to the pulsar (achromatic timing noise) from measurement noise and chromatic timing noise (due to propagation effects). In this paper, we formulate the classic two-component, crust-superfluid model of neutron star interiors as a noise-driven, linear dynamical system and use a state-space-based expectation–maximization method to estimate the system parameters using gravitational-wave and electromagnetic timing data. Monte Carlo simulations show that we can accurately estimate all six parameters of the two..