Pulsars are highly magnetized and rapidly rotating neutron stars. The magnetic ?eld can reach the critical magnetic ?eld from which quantum e?ects of the vacuum becomes relevant, giving rise to magnetooptic properties of vacuum characterized as an e?ective non linear medium. One spectacular consequence of this prediction is a macroscopic friction that leads to an additionnal contribution in the spindown of pulsars. In this paper, we highlight some observational consequences and in particular derive new constraints on the parameters of the Crab pulsar and J0540-6919.
Date added: Wed, 9 Oct 13