PULSAR PAIR CASCADES IN A DISTORTED MAGNETIC DIPOLE FIELD
Journal Article
·
· Astrophysical Journal Letters
- Astrophysics Science Division, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)
We investigate the effect of a distorted neutron star dipole magnetic field on pulsar pair cascade multiplicity and pair death lines. Using a simple model for a distorted dipole field that produces an offset polar cap (PC), we derive the accelerating electric field above the PC in space-charge-limited flow. We find that even a modest azimuthally asymmetric distortion can significantly increase the accelerating electric field on one side of the PC and, combined with a smaller field line radius of curvature, leads to larger pair multiplicity. The death line for producing pairs by curvature radiation moves downward in the P- P-dot diagram, allowing high pair multiplicities in a larger percentage of the radio pulsar population. These results could have important implications for the radio pulsar population, high energy pulsed emission, and the pulsar contribution to cosmic ray positrons.
- OSTI ID:
- 21560585
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal Letters, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Letters Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 726; ISSN 2041-8205
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
PULSAR PAIR CASCADES IN MAGNETIC FIELDS WITH OFFSET POLAR CAPS
DEATH LINE OF GAMMA-RAY PULSARS WITH OUTER GAPS
ON THE POLAR CAP CASCADE PAIR MULTIPLICITY OF YOUNG PULSARS
Journal Article
·
Mon Dec 19 23:00:00 EST 2011
· Astrophysical Journal
·
OSTI ID:22004425
DEATH LINE OF GAMMA-RAY PULSARS WITH OUTER GAPS
Journal Article
·
Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2011
· Astrophysical Journal
·
OSTI ID:21578240
ON THE POLAR CAP CASCADE PAIR MULTIPLICITY OF YOUNG PULSARS
Journal Article
·
Thu Sep 10 00:00:00 EDT 2015
· Astrophysical Journal
·
OSTI ID:22525444