Correlation between X-Ray Light-Curve Shape and Radio Arrival Time in the Vela Pulsar
Abstract
We report the results of simultaneous observations of the Vela pulsar in X-rays and radio from the RXTE satellite and the Mount Pleasant Radio Observatory in Tasmania. We sought correlations between Vela's X-ray emission and radio arrival times on a pulse-by-pulse basis. At a confidence level of 99.8% we have found significantly higher flux density in Vela's main X-ray peak during radio pulses that arrived early. This excess flux shifts to the ``trough'' following the second X-ray peak during radio pulses that arrive later. Our results suggest that the mechanism producing the radio pulses is intimately connected to the mechanism producing X-rays. Current models using resonant absorption of radio emission in the outer magnetosphere as a cause of the X-ray emission are explored as a possible explanation for the correlation.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- March 2007
- DOI:
- 10.1086/510797
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/0611450
- Bibcode:
- 2007ApJ...657..436L
- Keywords:
-
- pulsars: individual (Vela);
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 6 pages, 5 figures, accepted by ApJ