Triggering mechanism of pulsar glitches remains uncertain

Determine the actual physical mechanism that triggers pulsar glitches (sudden spin-ups) in neutron stars, evaluating candidate processes—including potential roles of superfluidity and quantum turbulence—to establish a definitive causal explanation.

Background

The paper discusses how vortex-ring nucleation and related superfluid dynamics may influence the macroscopic behavior of neutron stars. It connects these microscopic processes to the longstanding astrophysical puzzle of pulsar glitches—sudden spin-up events observed in some pulsars.

Although superfluidity is expected to be central to glitch physics, the authors explicitly note that the actual mechanism remains uncertain and suggest quantum turbulence as a possible contributor, underscoring an open problem linking microscopic superfluid dynamics to macroscopic astrophysical observations.