Pulsar radio emission

Radio emission by pulsars is calculated from first principles. In an almost current-free magnetosphere, the two charged components (of the unsteadily escaping pair plasma) have different (and varying) bulk Lorentz factors. Curvature radiation emitted by the more energetic component is thus locally coherent, (so-called antenna mechanism). Strong enough seed signals cause the relativistically streaming charges to enhance their radiation, via an induced drift that can largely exceed the curvature drift. This amplification mechanism is similar to - but different from - that of a maser; we call it a MAIDER. Maximal amplification occurs at an (emission) altitude where the two components have sufficiently separated in energy though not yet separated too strongly in space.