A wind model for high energy pulses
| dc.creator | Kirk, J. G. | |
| dc.creator | Skjaeraasen, O. | |
| dc.creator | Gallant, Y. A. | |
| dc.date | 2002-09-02 | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-07-07T02:04:56Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-07-07T02:04:56Z | |
| dc.description | A solution to the sigma problem - that of finding a mechanism capable of converting Poynting energy flux to particle-borne energy flux in a pulsar wind - was proposed several years ago by Coroniti and Michel who considered a particular prescription for magnetic reconnection in a striped wind. This prescription was later shown to be ineffective. In this paper, we discuss the basic microphysics of the reconnection process and conclude that a more rapid prescription is permissible. Assuming dissipation to set in at some distance outside the light-cylinder, we compute the resulting radiation signature and find that the synchrotron emission of heated particles appears periodic, in general showing both a pulse and an interpulse. The predicted spacing of these agrees well with observation in the case of the Crab and Vela pulsars. Using parameters appropriate for the Crab pulsar - magnetization parameter at the light cylinder sigma_L = 6 x 10^4, Lorentz factor Gamma=250 - reasonable agreement is found with the observed total pulsed luminosity. This suggest that the high-energy pulses from young pulsars originate not in the co-rotating magnetosphere within the light cylinder (as in all other models) but from the radially directed wind well outside it. | |
| dc.description | 6 pages, 2 figures. To appear in the Proceedings of the 270. WE-Heraeus Seminar on Neutron Stars, Pulsars and Supernova Remnants, Jan. 21-25, 2002, Physikzentrum Bad Honnef, eds W. Becker, H. Lesch & J. Truemper. Proceedings are available as MPE-Report 278 | |
| dc.identifier | https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0209023 | |
| dc.identifier | http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0209023 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/4955 | |
| dc.subject | Astrophysics | |
| dc.title | A wind model for high energy pulses | |
| dc.type | text |