CAN YOUNG PULSARS CLARIFY THE ODD BEHAVIOR OF PULSARS

Though the basic model of the pulsar as a rotating neutron star is well established, its details may not be as clear as is often assumed. The pulsar drift, the value of the braking index and its relation to the age of the pulsar need to be explained. Suggestions for explaining these properties which are not in entire agreement with the standard model have been proposed. One such proposal includes a high initial pulsar frequency. With the millisecond pulsar expected in the supernova of 1987 it is possible that the proposal merits a more detailed investigation. Could young pulsars provide, more generally, tests for the theories of pulsar formation, evolution and radiation? We discuss here the possibility of testing it against the standard model.