On the angles between magnetic field and rotation axis in pulsars.

Several methods for determining the angle (beta) between the magnetic moment vector and the rotation axis of a pulsar are examined. A technique for estimating the relative angular distance of the line of sight from the center of the radiation cone is presented. Mean values of beta estimated for 183 pulsars by different methods decrease as the characteristic ages increase. This finding agrees with the magnetic-dipole braking hypothesis but disagrees with predictions of the current-loss theory.