Model magnetic sail deceleration for binary stellar engines

Develop and analyze a quantitative physical model of a magnetic sail deployed by the neutron star in a spider pulsar binary to passively interact with the interstellar medium for deceleration within the spider stellar engine configuration, including momentum transfer efficiency, geometry, and dynamical stability during transitions between braking and cruising.

Background

To decelerate, the proposed binary stellar engine uses both active thrust and a passive method—deploying a magnetic sail to transfer momentum to the interstellar medium.

The authors explicitly state that detailed modeling of the magnetic sail in this binary context is incomplete and needs further elaboration to understand its effectiveness and operational constraints.