脉冲星辐射区结构研究

为了研究脉冲星本质与磁层动力学过程,如何从观测限定脉冲星辐射区域的部位和几何结构是其中一个基本且关键的问题.介绍了目前各种脉冲星辐射区几何限定方法的主要思想和结果,并对其异同和各自的优势作了比较和评述;根据已有的限定结果总结了其对辐射束结构、加速区模型和射电辐射机制等理论问题研究的帮助和启示;从各种方法的发展过程来看,完善能够限定脉冲星多波段辐射区域三维结构的方法,并与辐射区和加速区等理论问题的研究更紧密地结合是该领域的重要发展方向.     

射电脉冲星的偏振特性与逆康普顿散射（ICS）模型

大量射电脉冲星的偏振观测－包括红偏振和圆偏振，个别脉冲的生直偏振模式，累积脉冲的消偏振现象等－为辐射区的物理状态和辐射提供了非常确切的观测事实，但现有理论对大从观测事实尚无法给出完整的说明，综述了脉冲星的偏振观测特征，并利用逆康谱顿散射模型对这些特性进行了解释。     

Limits on radio emission from pulsar wind nebulae

We report on a sensitive survey for radio pulsar wind nebulae (PWN) towards 27 energetic and/or high-velocity pulsars. Observations were carried out at 1.4 GHz using the Very Large Array and the Australia Telescope Compact Array and utilized pulsar-gating to search for off-pulse emission. These observing parameters resulted in a considerably more sensitive search than previous surveys and could detect PWN over a much wider range of spatial scales (and hence ambient densities and pulsar velocities). However, no emission clearly corresponding to a PWN was discovered. Based on these non-detections we argue that the young and energetic pulsars in our sample have winds which are typical of young pulsars, but produce unobservable PWN because they reside in low-density ( n ∼0.003 cm⁻³) regions of the interstellar medium. However, non-detection of PWN around older and less energetic pulsars can only be explained if the radio luminosity of their winds is less than 10⁻⁵ of their spin-down luminosity, implying an efficiency at least an order of magnitude smaller than that seen for young pulsars.     

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.     

Studying millisecond pulsars in X-rays

Millisecond pulsars represent an evolutionarily distinct group among rotation-powered pulsars. Outside the radio band, the soft X-ray range (～0.1–10 keV) is most suitable for studying radiative mechanisms operating in these fascinating objects. X-ray observations revealed diverse properties of emission from millisecond pulsars. For the most of them, the bulk of radiation is of a thermal origin, emitted from small spots (polar caps) on the neutron star surface heated by relativistic particles produced in pulsar acceleration zones. On the other hand, a few other very fast rotating pulsars exhibit almost pure nonthermal emission generated, most probably, in pulsar magnetospheres. There are also examples of nonthermal emission detected from X-ray nebulae powered by millisecond pulsars, as well as from pulsar winds shocked in binary systems with millisecond pulsars as companions. These and other most important results obtained from X-ray observations of millisecond pulsars are reviewed in this paper, as well as results from the search for millisecond pulsations in X-ray flux of the radio-quite neutron star RX J1856.5-3754.     

The shape of pulsar radio beams

Using all available multicomponent radio pulse profiles for pulsars with medium to long periods and good polarization data, we have constructed a two-dimensional image of the mean radio beam shape. This shows a peak near the centre of the beam but is otherwise relatively uniform with only mild enhancements in a few regions. This result supports the patchy beam model for emission beams, in which the mean beam shape represents the properties of the emission mechanism and observed pulse components result from emission sources distributed randomly across the beam.     

The contribution of pulsars to diffuse gamma-rays in the Large Magellanic Cloud

We study the contribution of young pulsars, with characteristic ages of less than 10⁶ yr, to the diffuse γ-ray emission from the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Based on the outer gap model for γ-ray emission proposed by Zhang & Cheng and pulsar properties in the LMC given by Hartmann, Brown & Schnepf, we simulate the properties of the young pulsars in the LMC. We show that γ-rays produced by the pulsars in the LMC may make an important contribution to the diffuse γ-rays in the LMC, especially in the high-energy range. We calculate the γ-ray energy spectrum of the pulsars in the LMC and show that the γ-ray component contributed by the pulsars to the diffuse γ-rays in the high-energy range (above ∼1 GeV) becomes dominant. We expect that none of the young pulsars should be detectable as an individual point source of γ-ray emission by EGRET. We also expect that pulsar contribution above ∼1 GeV in the SMC is very important.     

The contribution to the Galactic diffuse gamma-ray spectrum from unresolved rotation-powered pulsars

We consider the contribution to the Galactic diffuse γ-ray emission from unresolved γ-ray pulsars. Based on the thick outer gap model, Monte Carlo methods are used to simulate the properties (period, distance, magnetic field, etc.) of the Galactic population of rotation-powered pulsars the gamma-ray flux of which is lower than the threshold sensitivity of the EGRET detector on the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory . Furthermore, the contribution to the Galactic diffuse γ-ray spectrum from the unresolved γ-ray pulsars is calculated. Our results indicate that the unresolved γ-ray pulsars contribute ∼5 to ∼10 per cent to the measured Galactic diffuse γ-ray emission if the birth rate of neutron stars in the Galaxy is 1 to 2 per century, and that these pulsars contribute significantly to the observed Galactic diffuse γ-ray emission above 1 GeV. Comparing the model spectrum with the observed spectrum, we show that the unresolved γ-ray pulsars contribute very little to the diffuse emission at lower energies but can account for ∼50 per cent of the observed spectrum above 1 GeV if the product of the birth rate of neutron stars and the γ-ray beaming fraction is about unity. Such a large pulsar contribution can explain the difference (∼60 per cent) between the intensity of the Galactic diffuse emission as measured by EGRET above 1 GeV and model predictions based on cosmic ray–matter interaction only.     

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.      

Giant pulses of pulsar radio emission

We present a brief review of observational manifestations of pulsars with giant pulses radio emission, based on the survey of the main properties of known pulsars with giant pulses, including our detection of 4 new pulsars with giant pulses.     

Gamma-ray emission from pulsars

We have attempted to devise a scheme by which it may be possible to identify pulsars which are likely to be γ-ray pulsars. We apply this test to a representative population of pulsars and identify the likely candidates for γ emission. We also discuss some individual cases including the Crab and Vela pulsars.     

Radio pulsars with expected gamma radiation and gamma-ray pulsars as pulsating radio emitters

Pulsars play a crucial astrophy sical role as highly energetic compact radio, X-ray and gammaray sources. Our previous works show that radio pulsars identified as pulsing gamma-ray sources by the Large Area Telescope(LAT) on board the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope have high values of magnetic field near the light cylinder, two-three orders of magnitude stronger compared with the magnetic fields of radio pulsars: log B_(lc)(G) are 3.60-3.95 and 1.75 correspondingly. Moreover,their losses of rotational energy are also three orders higher than the corresponding values for the main group of radio pulsars on average: log E(erg s~(-1)) = 35.37-35.53 and 32.64. The correlation between gammaray luminosities and radio luminosities is found. It allows us to select those objects from all sets of known radio pulsars that can be detected as gamma-ray pulsars with high probability. We provide a list of such radio pulsars and propose to search for gamma emission from these objects. On the other hand,the known catalog of gamma-ray pulsars contains some sources which are not currently identified as radio pulsars. Some of them have large values of gamma-ray luminosities and according to the obtained correlation, we can expect marked radio emission from these objects. We give the list of such pulsars and expected flux densities to search for radiation at frequencies 1400 and 111 MHz.     

Multifrequency integrated profiles of pulsars

We have observed a total of 67 pulsars at five frequencies ranging from 243 to 3100 MHz. Observations at the lower frequencies were made at the Giant Metre-Wave Telescope in India and those at higher frequencies at the Parkes Telescope in Australia. We present profiles from 34 of the sample with the best signal-to-noise ratio and the least scattering. The general 'rules' of pulsar profiles are seen in the data; profiles get narrower, the polarization fraction declines and outer components become more prominent as the frequency increases. Many counterexamples to these rules are also observed, and pulsars with complex profiles are especially prone to rule breaking. We hypothesize that the location of pulsar emission within the magnetosphere evolves with time as the pulsar spins down. In highly energetic pulsars, the emission comes from a confined range of high altitudes, in the middle range of spin down energies the emission occurs over a wide range of altitudes whereas in pulsars with low spin-down energies it is confined to low down in the magnetosphere.     

Radio-Loud and Radio-Quiet Gamma-Ray Pulsars from the Galaxy and the Gould Belt

We present results of a population synthesis study of radio-loud and radio-quiet γ-ray pulsars from the Galactic plane and the Gould Belt. The simulation includes the Parkes multibeam pulsar survey, realistic beam geometries for radio and γ-ray emission from neutron stars and the new electron density model of Cordes and Lazio. Normalizing to the number of radio pulsars observed by a set of nine radio surveys, the simulation suggests a neutron star birth rate of 1.4 neutron stars per century in the Galactic plane. In addition, the simulation predicts 19 radio-loud and 7 radio-quiet γ-ray pulsars from the plane that EGRET should have observed as point sources. Assuming that during the last 5 Myr the Gould Belt produced 100 neutron stars, only 10 of these would be observed as radio pulsars with three radio-loud and four radio-quiet γ-ray pulsars observed by EGRET. These results are in general agreement with the recent number of about 25 EGRET error boxes that contain Parkes radio pulsars. Since the Gould Belt pulsars are relatively close by, the selection of EGRET radio-quiet γ-ray pulsars strongly favors large impact angles, β, in the viewing geometry where the off-beam emission from curvature radiation provides the γ-ray flux. Therefore, the simulated EGRET radio-quiet γ-ray pulsars, being young and nearby, most closely reflect the current shape of the Gould Belt suggesting that such sources may significantly contribute to the EGRET unidentified γ-ray sources correlated with the Gould Belt.     

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.     

Mapping the magnetosphere of PSR B1055−52

We present a geometric study of the radio and γ-ray pulsar B1055−52 based on recent observations at the Parkes radio telescope. We conclude that the pulsar's magnetic axis is inclined at an angle of 75° to its rotation axis and that both its radio main pulse and interpulse are emitted at the same height above their respective poles. This height is unlikely to be higher or much lower than 700 km, a typical value for radio pulsars.
It is argued that the radio interpulse arises from emission formed on open fieldlines close to the magnetic axis which do not pass through the magnetosphere's null (zero-charge) surface. However, the main pulse emission must originate from fieldlines lying well outside the polar cap boundary beyond the null surface, and farther away from the magnetic axis than those of the outer gap region where the single γ-ray peak is generated. This casts doubt on the common assumption that all pulsars have closed, quiescent, corotating regions stretching to the light cylinder.     

Spatial Distribution of Pulsars

The spatial distributions of pulsars with ages of less than 10⁶ years and more than 10⁶ years are shown to be quite different. The spatial distributions of pulsars with ages of less than 106 years and of the remnants of supernova outbursts are essentially the same. They lie near the galactic plane in a thin zone of width 400 pc. The overwhelming majority of pulsars with ages exceeding 106 years lie outside this zone. These facts suggest a genetic relationship between pulsars and supernova remnants. The spatial distribution of pulsars with different emission periods also supports this point.     

Pulsar observations at 34.5 MHz using the Gauribidanur Telescope: I

The behaviour of pulsars at low radio-frequencies (below ≈ 50 MHz) remains poorly understood mainly due to very limited observational data on pulsars at these frequencies. We report here our measurements of pulse profiles at 34.5 MHz of 8 pulsars using the Gauribidanur Radio Telescope. None of the 8 pulsars show any significant interpulse emission at this frequency which conflicts with an earlier claim from 25 MHz observations. With the exception of one pulsar (PSR 0943 + 10) all the observed pulsars show turnovers at frequencies above 35 MHz in their spectra. We also report our attempts to study the short and long term variations in the pulsar signals at this low frequency.     

Pulsar Slot Gaps and Unidentified Egret Sources

A new picture of pulsar high-energy emission is proposed that is different from both the traditional polar cap and outer gap models, but combines elements of each. The slot gap model is based on electron acceleration along the edge of the open field region from the neutron star surface to near the light cylinder and thus could form a physical basis for the two-pole caustic model of Dyks and Rudak (2003). Along the last open field line, the pair formation front rises to very high altitude forming a slot gap, where the accelerating electric field is unscreened by pairs. The resulting radiation features both hollow cones from the lower-altitude pair cascades, seen at small viewing angles, as well as caustic emission on the trailing-edge field lines at high altitude, seen from both poles at large viewing angle. The combination of the small solid angle of slot gap emission (≪ 1 sr) with a high probability of viewing the emission predicts that more gamma-ray pulsars could be detected at larger distances. In this picture, many of the positional coincidences of radio pulsars with unidentified EGRET sources become plausible as real associations, as the flux predicted by the slot gap model for many of the pulsars would provide the observed EGRET source flux. The expected probability of seeing radio-quiet gamma-ray pulsars in this model will also be discussed.     

Low-frequency flux-density measurements and spectral features of millisecond pulsars

Radio flux-density measurements for a large sample of millisecond pulsars at a low frequency of 102 MHz are presented. Using higher frequency measurements, we construct their spectra in the frequency range from 102 MHz to 4.8 GHz, the widest one studied to date. The spectra of millisecond and normal pulsars have been found to differ. The spectra of millisecond pulsars have no low-frequency turnover typical of normal pulsars. The absence of a low-frequency turnover in the spectrum suggests that the emitting regions of millisecond and normal pulsars differ in geometry, which we interpret by deviation of the magnetic field from a dipole one or by compactness of the emitting region.