Vela-size glitch rates in youthful pulsars

A total of 71 glitches (Δν/ν≥10−9) have been reported to date in 30 pulsars. 13 of these glitches come from the Vela pulsar, whose glitches are mostly of magnitude Δν/ν∼10−6. Only about 40 per cent of the total glitches are of this magnitude. While glitches of this size have been observed from pulsars aged 104–107 yr, 80 per cent of them come from the youthful pulsars, aged 104–105 yr. For pulsars older than 104 yr, the glitch activity is found to be proportional to the logarithm of the spin-down rate, Based on this relationship, we identify six other pulsars that are most likely to yield frequent large glitches. Since these pulsars are of comparable ages to the Vela pulsar, real-time glitch detection on them and studies of their subsequent recovery would play a vital role in improving understanding of the neutron star interior and the pulsar glitch mechanisms.