Comparative analysis of the parameters of pulsars with braking indices n>0 and n<0.

We analyzed the timing parameters (the rotational frequency ν , the first (ν ˙) and second (ν ¨) time-derivatives of frequency) and the derived parameters of a sample of pulsars for which ν ¨ (470 pulsars) were recorded in the Australian Telescope National Facility (ATNF) pulsar catalog. We formed various subsamples, those with braking indices n < 0 and n > 0 , and glitching and non-glitching pulsars. Our statistical analyses of the timing and derived parameters indicated some level of differences and similarities among the parameters analyzed. Glitching pulsars appear to have a higher rotational frequency than non-glitching pulsars, and pulsars with n > 0 appear to rotate faster than those with n < 0 . Our results also suggest that glitching pulsars have lower values of | n | (where | n | is the absolute value of the braking index), and it is lower for the subsample with n > 0 than for the subsample with n < 0 . We believe that the results obtained could be useful in understanding the evolution of pulsar spin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]