Geometry of pulsar emission and pulse-width statistics.
Abstract
The distributions of apparent beamwidths (widths of the integrated pulse-profiles compared with the periods) for a sample of 199 pulsars are analyzed. The distributions obtained for groups of pulsars with different periods appear to be very similar. This suggests that pulsar emission originates rather close to a neutron star. Thus the magnetic-pole models, with an emission beam of a size roughly similar for all pulsars, are preferred. This hypothesis is shown to be consistent with observations only if the full angular beamwidth is not greater than 10-15 deg and small angles between the rotation and magnetic-dipole axes are preferred. The requirements that any light-cylinder model should fulfill to be consistent with pulse-width observations are also discussed.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- October 1979
- Bibcode:
- 1979A&A....79....8P
- Keywords:
-
- Beams (Radiation);
- Pulsars;
- Radiation Distribution;
- Stellar Radiation;
- Angular Distribution;
- Magnetic Poles;
- Neutron Stars;
- Stellar Models;
- Width;
- Astrophysics;
- Pulsars:Models;
- Pulsars:Pulse Structure