Potential drops above pulsar polar caps - Ultrarelativistic particle acceleration along the curved magnetic field

Scharlemann, E.T.; Arons, J.; Fawley, William M.

doi:10.1086/156144

Cited by 124 publications

(83 citation statements)

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“…The secondary plasma-generation condition determines its height. Another model, based on the assumption of free particle escape from the neutron star surface,was first studied by Arons' group (Fawley et al 1977;Scharlemann et al 1978;Arons & Scharlemann 1979), and recently in more detail by Istomin & Sobyanin (2011a,b); Medin & Lai (2010);Timokhin (2010) ;Chen & Beloborodov (2013) and Timokhin & Arons (2013).…”

Section: Electron-positron Generationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Radio Pulsars

et al. 2015

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Almost 50 years after radio pulsars were discovered in 1967, our understanding of these objects remains incomplete. On the one hand, within a few years it became clear that neutron star rotation gives rise to the extremely stable sequence of radio pulses, that the kinetic energy of rotation provides the reservoir of energy, and that electromagnetic fields are the braking mechanism. On the other hand, no consensus regarding the mechanism of coherent radio emission or the conversion of electromagnetic energy to particle energy yet exists. In this review, we report on three aspects of pulsar structure that have seen recent progress: the self-consistent theory of the magnetosphere of an oblique magnetic rotator; the location, geometry, and optics of radio emission; and evolution of the angle between spin and magnetic axes. These allow us to take the next step in understanding the physical nature of the pulsar activity.

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Section: Electron-positron Generationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Radio Pulsars

et al. 2015

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“…Further out, the usual effects of field line curvature (one way or the other) need to be included. By contrast MT follow the approach of Jon Arons and colleagues (Fawley et al 1977;Scharlemann et al 1978): they assume that v stays equal to c. (They do not discuss the initial acceleration by a super-GJ density from v < c to v « c, an essential feature of the Arons et al solution). The continuity condition (11) then requires ap e oc B on a streamline.…”

Section: Gmdr 2 J Fr G \[Rmentioning

confidence: 99%

General Relativistic Electrodynamics and Pulsar Theory

Mestel

1996

International Astronomical Union Colloquium

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“…Study of polar cap relativstic particle acceleration in the 1970's had led to the conclusion that acceleration of a space charge limited particle beam from the stellar surface with energy/particle high enough to emit magnetically convertible curvature gamma rays occurs because of curvature of the magnetic field (Scharlemann et al 1978, Arons andScharlemann 1979). In a curved B field, matching of the beam charge density to the Goldreich-Julian density occurs only at the surface.…”

Section: Polar Accelerationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pulsar Death at an Advanced Age

Arons

1996

International Astronomical Union Colloquium

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Abstract. I summarize the theory of acceleration of non-neutral particle beams by starvation electric fields along the polar magnetic field lines of rotation powered pulsars, including the effect of dragging of inertial frames which dominates the acceleration of a space charge limited beam. I apply these results to a new calculation of the radio pulsar death line, under the hypotheses that pulsar "death" corresponds to cessation of pair creation over the magnetic poles and that the magnetic field has a locally dipolar topology. The frame dragging effect in star centered dipole geometry does improve comparison of the theory with observation, but an unacceptably large conflict between observation and theory still persists. Offsetting the dipole improves the comparison, but a fully satisfactory theory requires incorporating magnetic conversion of inverse Compton gamma rays, created by scattering thermal photons from the surface of old neutron stars (t > 10 8 years) kept warm (T ≥ 10 5 K) by friction between the rotating core and the crust. The result is a "death valley" for pulsars; offsets of the dipole center from the stellar center in the oldest stars ∼ (0.7 − 0.8)R * suffice. The resulting theory predicted the existence of rotation powered pulsars with these advanced ages, a prediction confirmed by the recent discovery that PSR J2144-3933 actually has a rotation period of 8.5 seconds.

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Potential drops above pulsar polar caps - Ultrarelativistic particle acceleration along the curved magnetic field

Cited by 124 publications

References 0 publications

Radio Pulsars

Radio Pulsars

General Relativistic Electrodynamics and Pulsar Theory

Pulsar Death at an Advanced Age

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