Particle acceleration and radio emission above pulsar polar caps

Journal Article · Tue Jan 15 04:00:00 EST 1980 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/157661· OSTI ID:5662138

Cheng, A F; Ruderman, M A

We consider consequences of ion outflow from positively charged pulsar polar caps where this outflow coexists with production of outflowing electron-positron plasmas. The resulting model differs in critical details from previous polar cap models for pulsar radio emission. In typical pulsars, the approx.10/sup 12/ V potential drop needed to maintain a pair production discharge is a consequence of stellar surface binding of ions in superstrong magnetic fields. A high polar cap temperature is required for release of a sufficient flux of ions from the surface; this temperature is regulated by backflowing electrons from a pair production discharge. Without the discharge the polar cap would rapidly become too cold to emit the demanded ion flux. In the fastest pulasr the approx.10/sup 12/ V potential drop arises in a space-charg-limited ion flow because of th inertia of the accelerated ions. In either case the outflowing 10/sup 12/eV ions, which will usually dominate the current flow, are accompanied by a copious secondary electron-positron pair plasma produced above the original pair production discharge. At any point, th ions will have only the negligibly small thermal energy spread of less than 1 keV due to emission from the hot surface, Interaction of this cold ion beam with the secondary electron-positron plasma should produce charge bunching from two-stream instabilities and coherent radio emission. The frequencies, intensity, polarization, and geometrical properties of this radio emission are not inconsistent with observations.

• Research Organization: Rutgers University
• OSTI ID: 5662138
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 235:2; ISSN ASJOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACCELERATION
ALGEBRAIC CURRENTS
ANTILEPTONS
ANTIMATTER
ANTIPARTICLES
BEAM-PLASMA SYSTEMS
CHARGED CURRENTS
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
CURRENTS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EMISSION
FERMIONS
INSTABILITY
INTERACTIONS
LEPTONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PAIR PRODUCTION
PLASMA
PLASMA ACCELERATION
PLASMA INSTABILITY
POLAR REGIONS
POSITRONS
PULSARS
RADIATIONS
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
STAR MODELS
THERMODYNAMICS