Theory of the Radio Emission of Pulsars
Abstract
A consistent theory of excitation, stabilization, and propagation of electromagnetic oscillations in a relativistic one-dimensional electron-positron plasma flowing along curved magnetic field lines is presented. It is shown that in such a medium which is typical of the magnetosphere of a neutron star there exist unstable natural modes of oscillations. Nonlinear saturation of the instability leads to an effective energy conversion into transverse oscillations capable of leaving the magnetosphere of a pulsar. The polarization spectrum and the directivity pattern of generated radiation are determined. A comparison with observations has shown that the theory makes it possible to explain practically all the basic characteristics of observed pulsar radio emission.
- Publication:
-
Astrophysics and Space Science
- Pub Date:
- July 1988
- DOI:
- 10.1007/BF00637577
- Bibcode:
- 1988Ap&SS.146..205B
- Keywords:
-
- Electron-Positron Plasmas;
- Pulsars;
- Radio Emission;
- Relativistic Plasmas;
- Stellar Magnetospheres;
- Stellar Oscillations;
- Emission Spectra;
- Magnetic Field Configurations;
- Polarization Characteristics;
- Astrophysics