X-Ray Observation of the 2017 November Glitch in the Crab Pulsar

Scientists observed the largest glitch ever recorded in the Crab pulsar (PSR B0531+21) using X-ray data from the XPNAV-1 satellite, with a rotation frequency increase of (14.3 ± 2.0) × 10⁻⁶ Hz. The study detected two transient components in the frequency change: one lasting 38.6 days and another very short-lived component lasting just 2.4 days. No significant X-ray flux changes were observed before or after the glitch. Radio observations from Jodrell Bank Observatory and the Lovell telescope confirmed this as the largest pulsar glitch on record, providing new insights into the dynamics of neutron stars.

Zhang, X., Shuai, P., Huang, L., Chen, S., & Du, Y. (2018). X-Ray Observation of the 2017 November Glitch in the Crab Pulsar. The Astrophysical Journal, 866(2), 82. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aade46