Model the companion evaporation mechanism in spider stellar engines

Develop a detailed physical model of the companion-star evaporation process in binary millisecond pulsar systems (spider pulsars) used as spider stellar engines, including the high-energy irradiation heating of the companion’s upper layers, magnetic field channeling, and the conditions required for the outflow to exceed the binary escape velocity (~753 km/s), so as to quantify achievable thrust and control.

Background

The paper proposes a binary stellar engine (spider stellar engine) where a millisecond pulsar evaporates its low-mass companion to generate thrust. Achieving effective thrust requires ejecting material above the system’s escape velocity and controlling the evaporation process.

The authors note that while qualitative mechanisms are suggested (e.g., irradiation, magnetic field channeling), a precise, quantitative model of the evaporation process is lacking and needed to assess feasibility and performance.