The role of r-mode damping in the thermal evolution of neutron stars

The thermal evolution of neutron stars (NSs) is investigated through coupling with the evolution of r-mode instability, which is described by a second-order model. The heating effect due to shear viscous damping of the r modes enables us to understand the high temperature of two young pulsars (PSR B0531+21 and RXJ0822-4300) in the framework of the simple neutron-proton-electron (npe) NS model, without superfluidity or exotic particles. Moreover, the light curves predicted by the model within an acceptable parameter regime probably cover all of the young and middle-aged pulsars in the lg T-s(infinity)-lg t panel, and the artificially strong p superfluidity invoked in some early works is not needed here. Additionally, by considering the radiative viscous damping of the r modes, a surprising extra cooling effect is found that can even exceed the heating effect at times, although it plays a negligible role in the thermal history.