Description
Central compact objects (CCOs) are a rather unusual manifestation of neutron stars (NSs). They
show all the characteristics of being old compared to the bulk NS population; they have slower spin
periods, weaker surface magnetic fields and their pulsed emission is almost exclusively comprised
of thermal X-rays. We nevertheless know they must be young because they are found in the
centre of supernova remnants, hence their namesake. Their formation and evolutionary history is
contested, with theories of an intrinsically weak magnetic field at birth (anti-magnetar scenario)
being opposed by ideas of rapid spin-down events (fallback disk and B-field crustal emergence)
in order to explain their observed properties. A recent detection of radio pulsations from one
CCO has suggested that, whilst relatively weakly magnetised, their magnetospheres may possess
temporarily favourable configurations for non-thermal emission. Now that the link between CCOs
and canonical pulsars has been established, we can probe further at optical and nIR wavelengths.
Studying the nIR polarisation and spectra across the rotational phase will be particularly pertinent
for constraining atmosphere models, and explaining the true origin of the weak magnetic fields.