Pair formation and electric field boundary conditions at neutron star magnetic poles
Abstract
The results of detailed calculations of pair formation in the inner magnetosphere of a neutron star made under the assumption that the surface electric field satisfies E.B = 0 are given. It is assumed that high multipole components in the magnetic field increase the curvature of open flux lines and allow pair formation at the rotation period of the typical radio pulsar. A previous electric fields solution is shown (in a one dimensional approximation) to be unstable. No dense pair plasma is formed, even in the absence of the instability. The outward moving plasma consists largely of a single stream of electrons so tht for this boundary condition, there is no promising source of radio emission in the inner magnetosphere.
- Publication:
-
NASA STI/Recon Technical Report N
- Pub Date:
- 1980
- Bibcode:
- 1980STIN...8134128J
- Keywords:
-
- Boundary Conditions;
- Electric Fields;
- Magnetic Poles;
- Neutron Stars;
- Pair Production;
- Stellar Magnetic Fields;
- Electron Acceleration;
- Plasmas (Physics);
- Positrons;
- Radio Emission;
- Astrophysics