脉冲星脉冲宽度的测量方法

脉冲宽度的测量方法有几种.最常用的脉冲宽度有W_pp（两峰值点的间距）、W₅₀（最高峰值强度50%处的宽度）和W₁₀（最高峰值强度10%处的宽度）.另外,还有测量两个最外成分各自强度50%处的宽度W_c50和各自强度10%处的宽度W_c10.利用16颗双锥峰脉冲星和7颗核锥三峰脉冲星样本在1.4 GHz的脉冲轮廓数据,测量了5种脉冲宽度.利用有磁倾角α和撞击角β数据的脉冲星,导出了对应的辐射束半径ρ,并验证其与脉冲星周期P之间的关系ρ∝P^-0.5.通过比较5种脉冲宽度导出的ρ与P关系的好坏,发现最外成分之间的宽度比前面3种宽度更好,其中W_c50宽度得出的相关关系最好.由此认为W_c50是最能反映辐射束宽度的测量值.还讨论了脉冲轮廓的对称性,发现后随的锥辐射成分与先导的锥辐射成分相比,更靠近核心辐射成分,两个锥辐射成分的宽度在统计上基本相同.     

Circular Polarization in Pulsar Integrated Profiles： Updates

We update the systematic studies of circular polarization in integrated pulse profiles by Han et al. Data of circular polarization profiles are compiled. Sense reversals can occur in core or cone components, or near the intersection between components. The correlation between the sense of circular polarization and the sense of position angle variation for conal-double pulsars is confirmed with a much large database. Circular polarization of some pulsars has clear changes with frequency. Circular polarization of millisecond pulsars is marginally different from that of normal pulsars.     

Pulse Width Measurements for Pulsars

There are a few methods of measuring pulse widths. Among the most often used pulse widths there are W_pp (the distance between two peak value points), W₅₀ (the width at the place of 50% of the highest peak intensity) and W10 (the width at the place of 10% of the highest peak intensity). In addition, there are also the width W_c50 at the place of 50% of their respective intensities and the width Wc10 at the place of 10% of the respective intensities of the two outermost components. The data of the pulse profiles of the sample of 16 double-cone peak pulsars and 7 core-cone triple peak pulsars at 1.4 GHz are utilized to measure 5 kinds of pulse widths. The pulsars with the data of the magnetic inclination α and impact angle β are employed to derive the corresponding radiation beam radius ρ, and the relation between ρ and the pulsar period P, ρ ∝ P^?0.5, is verified. Via a comparison between the qualities of the relation between ρ and P derived from the 5 kinds of pulse widths it is found that the width between the outermost components is better than any one of the first 3 kinds of widths, of which the correlative relation obtained from the W_c50 width is the best. From this it is considered that W_c50 is the measured value that can fully reflect the emission beam width. The symmetry of the pulse profile is also discussed and it is found that from the comparison with the preceding cone emission component the following cone emission component is much closer to the core emission component, and the widths of the two cone emission components are basically the same according to statistics.     

脉冲星平均脉冲不对称性的研究

本文讨论了光线的狭义相对论性偏折、光行时间差和磁场拖曳对脉冲到达相位的综合影响。在辐射束中的核、内锥以及外锥的辐射高度有差别时,观测得到的平均脉冲中的各个成份的位置也会发生改变,导致平均脉冲的不对称。分析了脉冲星ＰＳＲ１４５１６８ 和ＰＳＲＪ０４３７４７１５ 资料,发现它们的平均脉冲属于两种不同的不对称性。用相位综合漂移理论解释了这两种不对称性。     

More Emission Cones: Multi-frequency Simulation of the Pulse Profiles of PSR J0437-4715

Pulsar radio emission beams have been studied observationally for a long time, and the suggestion is that they consist of the so-called core and conal components. To reproduce these components is a challenge for any emission model, and that the pulse profile of pulsars changes with frequency presents even a greater challenge. Assuming a local surface magnetic structure (to produce the core or central beam) and a global dipole magnetic field (to produce the conal beams), Gil & Krawczyk (1997) applied curvature radiation to the pulse profile simulation of PSR J0437-4715 (hereafter the GK model). Here we present an alternative multi-frequency simulation of the same profiles within the framework of the Inverse Compton Scattering (ICS) model. It is obtained from our simulation (1) that besides the core, the inner cone and the outer cone, there is an outer-outer cone; (2) that the emission components of the core and cones evolve strongly with frequency. Some important differences between the ICS model and the     

Population statistics study of radio and gamma-ray pulsars in the Galactic plane

We present results of our pulsar population synthesis of normal and millisecond pulsars in the Galactic plane. Over the past several years, a program has been developed to simulate pulsar birth, evolution and emission using Monte Carlo techniques. We have added to the program the capability to simulate millisecond pulsars, which are old, recycled pulsars with extremely short periods. We model the spatial distribution of the simulated pulsars by assuming that they start with a random kick velocity and then evolve through the Galactic potential. We use a polar cap/slot gap model for γ-ray emission from both millisecond and normal pulsars. From our studies of radio pulsars that have clearly identifiable core and cone components, in which we fit the polarization sweep as well as the pulse profiles in order to constrain the viewing geometry, we develop a model describing the ratio of radio core-to-cone peak fluxes. In this model, short period pulsars are more cone-dominated than in our previous studies. We present the preliminary results of our recent study and the implications for observing these pulsars with GLAST and AGILE.      

On the aberration–retardation effects in pulsars

The magnetospheric locations of pulsar radio emission region are not well known. The actual form of the so-called radius-to-frequency mapping should be reflected in the aberration–retardation (A/R) effects that shift and/or delay the photons depending on the emission height in the magnetosphere. Recent studies suggest that in a handful of pulsars the A/R effect can be discerned with respect to the peak of the central core emission region. To verify these effects in an ensemble of pulsars, we launched a project analysing multifrequency total intensity pulsar profiles obtained from the new observations from the Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope (GMRT), Arecibo Observatory (AO) and archival European Pulsar Network (EPN) data. For all these profiles, we measure the shift of the outer cone components with respect to the core component, which is necessary for establishing the A/R effect. Within our sample of 23 pulsars, seven show the A/R effects, 12 of them (doubtful cases) show a tendency towards this effect, while the remaining four are obvious counterexamples. The counterexamples and doubtful cases may arise from uncertainties in the determination of the location of the meridional plane and/or the core emission component. Hence, it appears that the A/R effects are likely to operate in most pulsars from our sample. We conclude that in cases where those effects are present the core emission has to originate below the conal emission region.     

The Geminga fraction

Radio-quiet γ-ray pulsars like Geminga may account for a number of the unidentified EGRET sources in the Galaxy. The number of Geminga-like pulsars is very sensitive to the geometry of both the γ-ray and radio beams. Recent studies of the shape and polarization of pulse profiles of young radio pulsars have provided evidence that their radio emission originates in wide cone beams at altitudes that are a significant fraction (1–10%) of their light cylinder radius. Such wide radio emission beams will be visible at a much larger range of observer angles than the narrow core components thought to originate at lower altitude. Using 3D geometrical modeling that includes relativistic effects from pulsar rotation, we study the visibility of such radio cone beams as well as that of the γ-ray beams predicted by slot gap and outer gap models. From the results of this study, one can obtain revised predictions for the fraction of Geminga-like, radio quiet pulsars present in the γ-ray pulsar population.      

Millisecond pulsar radiation properties

Two investigations of millisecond pulsar radiation are discussed: average total intensity pulse morphology and individual pulse to pulse fluctuations. The average emission profiles of millisecond pulsars are compared with those of slower pulsars in the context of polar cap models. In general the full widths of pulsar emission regions continue to widen inversely with periodP as P^-(0.30-0.5) as expected for dipole polar cap models. Many pulse components are very narrow. The period scaling of pulsar profiles -separations and widths -can tell us about the angular distribution of radiating currents. An investigation of individual pulses from two millisecond pulsars at 430 MHz shows erratic pulse to pulse variations similar to that seen in slow pulsars. PSR B1937+21 displays occasional strong pulses that are located in the trailing edge of the average profile with relative flux densities in the range of 100 to 400. These are similar to the giant pulses seen in the Crab pulsar.     

Profile morphology and polarization of young pulsars

We present polarization profiles at 1.4 and 3.1 GHz for 14 young pulsars with characteristic ages less than 75 kyr. Careful calibration ensures that the absolute position angle of the linearly polarized radiation at the pulsar is obtained. In combination with previously published data, we draw three main conclusions about the pulse profiles of young pulsars. (i) Pulse profiles are simple and consist of either one or two prominent components. (ii) The linearly polarized fraction is nearly always in excess of 70 per cent. (iii) In profiles with two components, the trailing component nearly always dominates, only the trailing component shows circular polarization and the position angle swing is generally flat across the leading component and steep across the trailing component.
Based on these results, we can make the following generalizations about the emission beams of young pulsars. (i) There is a single, relatively wide cone of emission from near the last open field lines. (ii) Core emission is absent or rather weak. (iii) The height of the emission is between 1 and 10 per cent of the light cylinder radius.     

Polarization-mode separation and the emission geometry of pulsar 0823 + 26: A new pattern of pulsar emission?

We explore the detailed polarization behaviour of pulsar 0823 + 26 using the technique of constructing partial ‘mode-separated’ profiles corresponding to the primary and secondary polarization modes. The characteristics of the two polarization modes in this pulsar are particularly interesting, both because they are anything but orthogonal and because the secondary mode exhibits a structure seen neither in the primary mode nor in the total profile. The new leading and trailing features in the secondary mode, which appear to represent a conal component pair, are interpreted geometrically on the basis of their width and the associated polarization-angle traverse as an outer cone. If the secondary-mode features are, indeed, an outer cone, then questions about the significance of the pulsar’s postcursor component become more pressing. It seems that 0823 + 26 has a very nearly equatorial geometry, in that both magnetic poles and the sightline all fall close to the rotational equator of the star. We thus associate the postcursor component with emission along those bundles of field lines which are also equatorial and which continue to have a tangent in the direction of our sight line for a significant portion of the star’s rotation cycle. It seems that in all pulsars with postcursor components, this emission follows the core component, and all may thus have equatorial emission geometries. No pulsars with precursors in this sense — including the Crab pulsar — are known. The distribution of power between the primary and secondary modes is very similar at both 430 and 1400 MHz. Our analysis shows that in this pulsar considerable depolarization must be occurring on time scales that are short compared to the time resolution of our observations, which is here some 0.5–1.0 milliseconds. One of the most interesting features of the modeseparated partial profiles is a phase offset between the primary and secondary modes. The secondary-mode ‘main pulse’ arrives some 1.5 ± 0.1‡ before the primary-mode one at 430 MHz and some 1.3 +0.1 ‡ at 21 cm. Given that the polar cap has an angular diameter of 3.36‡, we consider whether this is a geometric effect or an effect of differential propagation of the two modes in the inner magnetosphere of the pulsar.     

Multifrequency polarimetry of 300 radio pulsars

Polarimetric observations of 300 pulsars have been conducted with the 76-m Lovell telescope at Jodrell Bank at radio frequencies centred around 230, 400, 600, 920, 1400 and 1600 MHz. More than half of the pulsars have no previously published polarization profiles and this compilation represents about three times the sum of all previously published pulsar polarization data. A selection of integrated polarization profiles is provided. Tables of pulse widths and the degree of both linear and circular polarization are given for all pulsars, and these act as an index for all the data, which are available by anonymous ftp in numerical and graphical form.     

Evolution of Pulsars with Energy Release in the Superfluid Core of a Neutron Star

The effect of a neutron-proton vortex system on the rotation dynamics of neutron stars is examined. The dynamics of the motion of a two component superfluid system in the core of a neutron star yields an equation for the evolution of the pulsar's rotation period. The spin down of the star owing to energy release at the core boundary, which is associated with a contraction of the length of the neutron vortex as it moves radially and magnetic energy of the vortical cluster is released, is taken into account. Evolutionary curves are constructed for pulsars with different magnetic fields and stellar radii. For certain values of the coefficient of friction between the superfluid and normal components in the core of the neutron star, at the end of its evolution a radio pulsar may become an anomalous x-ray pulsar or a source of soft gamma radiation with a period on the order of 10 seconds.     

射电脉冲星锥成分的谱行为

选取２３颗双峰轮廓脉冲星,考察脉冲星射电辐射锥成分的谱行为．通过对前导和后随成分峰值强度比与频率的关系进行幂律谱拟合,给出了前后两部分的相对谱指数．结果显示,大多数脉冲星的相对谱指数集中分布在零附近,这表明,前导和后随成分的辐射本质上没有差别;相对谱指数的近似高斯分布显示出,其辐射部位高辐射束中心距离之差具有一定的随机性．     

Comparison of Cone Model Parameters for Halo Coronal Mass Ejections

Halo coronal mass ejections (HCMEs) are a major cause of geomagnetic storms, hence their three-dimensional structures are important for space weather. We compare three cone models: an elliptical-cone model, an ice-cream-cone model, and an asymmetric-cone model. These models allow us to determine three-dimensional parameters of HCMEs such as radial speed, angular width, and the angle [γ] between sky plane and cone axis. We compare these parameters obtained from three models using 62 HCMEs observed by SOHO/LASCO from 2001 to 2002. Then we obtain the root-mean-square (RMS) error between the highest measured projection speeds and their calculated projection speeds from the cone models. As a result, we find that the radial speeds obtained from the models are well correlated with one another (R > 0.8). The correlation coefficients between angular widths range from 0.1 to 0.48 and those between γ-values range from ?0.08 to 0.47, which is much smaller than expected. The reason may be the different assumptions and methods. The RMS errors between the highest measured projection speeds and the highest estimated projection speeds of the elliptical-cone model, the ice-cream-cone model, and the asymmetric-cone model are 376 km?s^?1, 169 km?s^?1, and 152 km?s^?1. We obtain the correlation coefficients between the location from the models and the flare location (R > 0.45). Finally, we discuss strengths and weaknesses of these models in terms of space-weather application.     

Deep radio observations of the rich globular clusters Terzan 5 and Liller 1

We have obtained deep 6, 20 and 90 cm observation of two of the richest globular clusters in the galaxy, Terzan 5 and Liller 1. In addition to the well known eclipsing pulsar, PSR1744-24A, our 20 cm image of Terzan 5 displays numerous point sources within 30″, or 4 core radii of the cluster center. The density of these objects rises rapidly toward the core, where an elongated region of emission is found. This feature may be due to the presence of a higher density of point sources than can be resolved by the 1″ resolution of our data. Observations at 6 and 90 cm show that the brightest individual sources, as well as the extended emission, possess the steep spectra expected of pulsars. Furthermore, we find that the strength of the sources in the 20 cm image agrees well with the standard pulsar luminosity function. The total luminosity and number of objects observed in Terzan 5 suggest that this cluster may contain 100 pulsars — probably more than any other Galactic cluster. Although we do not resolve individual sources in Liller 1, comparison of our images with other observations suggests that we are again observing the sum of emission from a number of objects. The 90 cm flux densities of Terzan 5 and Liller 1 are 35 and 9 mJy, respectively, implying that a number of bright pulsars in these clusters have been hidden from pulsed searches, perhaps by a combination of dispersion smearing, scattering and doppler broadening.     

Statistics and Evolution of Pulsars’ Parameters

The rotation periods, surface magnetic field strengths, as well as the spatial distribution of the several kinds of pulsars discovered sofar are analyzed statistically. It is revealed that the spatial distribution of the millisecond pulsars is more dispersive than that of the normal radio pulsars. And that the spatial distribution of the pulsars in low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) is also more dispersive than that of the pulsars in high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs). The distribution of rotation periods of the isolated millisecond pulsars has a peak at 4.7ms, and the corresponding peak values for the normal radio pulsars and the millisecond pulsars in binaries are 0.6 s and 3.5ms, respectively. The surface magnetic field strengths of the FERMI pulsars (the gamma-ray pulsars observed by the Large Area Telescope/Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope) and normal pulsars are all concentrated around 1012 Gs. It is found also that some young high-energy pulsars are associated with supernova remnants. In combination with the formation and evolution models of pulsars, we have made some remarks on the characteristics of these distributions.     

Are radio pulsars the progenitors of anomalous X-ray pulsars and soft gamma repeaters?

We analyze the possibility that anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) and soft gamma repeaters (SGRs) originate from radio pulsars subjected to considerable and prolonged glitches. The observed characteristics of such pulsars, their association with supernova remnants, and their evolution in the P-? diagram with allowance made for the actual age of the possible AXP and SGR progenitors are shown to be in conflict with the suggested scenario.     

Magnetic field energy as a source of the radio luminosity of quasars

Energy release in the superconducting core of a neutron star as neutron vortices move toward the boundary of the star’s core and crust is examined. It is shown that the rate of energy release is on the order of 10²⁶-10³⁰ erg/s, or sufficient to provide the radio luminosity of known pulsars. The energy release rates calculated under the assumption of asymmetric energy release are compared with observational data on the radio luminosity of 575 pulsars.     

Gamma-ray binaries and related systems

After initial claims and a long hiatus, it is now established that several binary stars emit high- (0.1–100 GeV) and very high-energy (>100 GeV) gamma rays. A new class has emerged called “gamma-ray binaries”, since most of their radiated power is emitted beyond 1 MeV. Accreting X-ray binaries, novae and a colliding wind binary (η Car) have also been detected—“related systems” that confirm the ubiquity of particle acceleration in astrophysical sources. Do these systems have anything in common? What drives their high-energy emission? How do the processes involved compare to those in other sources of gamma rays: pulsars, active galactic nuclei, supernova remnants? I review the wealth of observational and theoretical work that have followed these detections, with an emphasis on gamma-ray binaries. I present the current evidence that gamma-ray binaries are driven by rotation-powered pulsars. Binaries are laboratories giving access to different vantage points or physical conditions on a regular timescale as the components revolve on their orbit. I explain the basic ingredients that models of gamma-ray binaries use, the challenges that they currently face, and how they can bring insights into the physics of pulsars. I discuss how gamma-ray emission from microquasars provides a window into the connection between accretion–ejection and acceleration, while η Car and novae raise new questions on the physics of these objects—or on the theory of diffusive shock acceleration. Indeed, explaining the gamma-ray emission from binaries strains our theories of high-energy astrophysical processes, by testing them on scales and in environments that were generally not foreseen, and this is how these detections are most valuable.