HEAO 3 observations of the Crab pulsar.
Abstract
The Crab pulsar (PSR 0531+21) is the only pulsar which has been observed throughout almost the entire electromagnetic spectrum from 0.5 keV to over 2000 GeV. In general, the emission from the Crab nebula and its pulsar has been remarkably constant in time (except for the pulsations). However, several recent observations, especially of gamma-ray line emission, indicate possible time variations. The present investigation is concerned with the data obtained with the HEAO C-1 experiment. The data have been studied with the hope of finding information regarding a number of questions, taking into account the existence of line emission from the pulsar, the variation of the shape of the light curve with time, and the spectral variations as a function of pulsar phase. The spectrum of the total phase-averaged pulsed emission is found to be consistent with a single power-law spectrum from 50 keV to 10 MeV.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- March 1984
- DOI:
- 10.1086/161848
- Bibcode:
- 1984ApJ...278..784M
- Keywords:
-
- Crab Nebula;
- Gamma Ray Spectra;
- Heao 3;
- Light Curve;
- Pulsars;
- Stellar Spectra;
- Compton Effect;
- Monte Carlo Method;
- X Ray Spectroscopy;
- Astrophysics