Published June 15, 2026 | Version v4

Pulsar Glitch Spin-Down Anomalies: 85 Pulsar Glitches Exhibit Statistically Significant Negative Post-Glitch Spin-Down Rate Changes

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  • 1. independent researcher

Description

A systematic metadata analysis of the combined Jodrell Bank pulsar glitch catalogues (Espinoza et al. 2011; Basu et al. 2022) reveals a major population of rotational events exhibiting a negative persistent change in spin-down rate (Δν̇/ν̇ < 0). Out of approximately 940 glitches with successfully constrained post-glitch braking parameters, 85 events (14.1% of 601 events with measured dF1/F1) show that the pulsar becomes permanently less braked following the event. This specific behavior is shown to be 150 times more statistically frequent than the classic "anti-glitch" (Δν/ν < 0). No previous study has systematically counted these events across the full catalogue. The 14.1% figure is novel. Because standard superfluid vortex unpinning models lack an intrinsic mechanism to decrease the external macro-torque or post-glitch braking configuration, this paper categorizes these events as a distinct, regular mechanical state of neutron star rotational evolution rather than statistical anomalies.

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Preprint: 10.5281/zenodo.19468928 (DOI)