Properties of the Crab pulsar inferred from the phase-averaged spectrum

Conference · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1983 · AIP Conf. Proc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5925143

Knight, F K

The Crab pulsar emission can be described adequately by using the phase-averaged spectrum, which is continuous from the near infrared to the ..gamma..-ray range. Using most of the published observations over this energy range, a power law fit to the emission requires at least two power laws with a break of 0.74+/-0.02 in spectral index at 39+/-3 keV. If this emission is synchrotron radiation, then the emitting electron spectrum is continuous over about five decades and has a break of approx.1.5 in spectral index at ..gamma.. = E/mc/sup 2/ = 1900+/-200 (10/sup 6/ gauss/B perpendicular to)/sup 1 intergral 2/. With B perpendicular to = 10/sup 6/ gauss, the electrons emitting in the infrared have ..gamma.. = 10. Because a fit with three power laws has approximately the same chi/sup 2/, a gradual turnover is consistent with the data, as one would expect from synchrotron emission. 20 references, 3 figures.

• Research Organization: Naval Research Lab., Washington, DC
• OSTI ID: 5925143
• Report Number(s): CONF-830136-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AIP Conf. Proc.; (United States) Journal Volume: 101
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640103* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Quasi-Stellar
Radio
& X-Ray Sources-- (-1987)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
CRAB NEBULA
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EMISSION
FERMIONS
LEPTONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
NEBULAE
PULSARS
RADIATIONS
SPECTRA
SUPERNOVA REMNANTS
SYNCHROTRON RADIATION