Pulsar statistics
Abstract
It is shown that for radio pulsars the observed probability distributions of periods, magnetic field strengths, characteristic ages and heights above the galactic plane can be well understood if (1) pulsars are born close to the galactic plane, within a band of scaleheight 175 pc, and with a Maxwellian velocity distribution, having a standard deviation of 107 km s-1, (2) their initial magnetic field strength has a gaussian distribution in ln B0, with standard deviation 0.69 and centered around B0 = 3.2×1012G, (3) their initial periods are short, typically between 1 and 50 ms, (4) their magnetic field strength decays on a timescale of 5.3×106yr, and (5) their radio luminosity is proportional to B/P2 for B/P2 ≤ 1013Gs-2 and constant above this value. It is, furthermore, shown that there may be evidence for the existence of a small population of recycled pulsars. These, probably, comprise 10 to 15% of the total pulsar population.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- May 1987
- Bibcode:
- 1987A&A...178..143S
- Keywords:
-
- Pulsars;
- Radio Emission;
- Statistical Distributions;
- Stellar Radiation;
- Field Strength;
- Monte Carlo Method;
- Probability Distribution Functions;
- Stellar Magnetic Fields;
- Astrophysics