Effect of nulls on the drifting subpulses in PSR 0809+74

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

OSTI ID:5969922

Filippenko, A V; Readhead, A C.S.; Ewing, M S

The manner in which nulls affect the drifting subpulses of PSR 0809+74 has been investigated. Immediately following a null, subpulses reappear at approximately the longitudes expected for subpulses in the first nulled pulse, as previously reported. The higher quality of the new data, however, has made it possible to demonstrate that the phase memory is not perfect; there is a small systematic phase shift in the direction of normal drift. This result is probably inconsistent with the hypothesis that during a null, electron-positron pair production in the polar gap is absent and local hot spots identify the regions over which discharges last occurred. If nulling is the manifestation of temporally steady discharge within discrete regions in the polar gap, on the other hand, a slight phase shift is expected, but the observations do not confirm the prediction that its magnitude should be proportional to null length. In addition, this scenario has difficulty explaining the abnormally slow subpulse drift following long nulls and the absence of radio radiation during nulls associated with large phase shifts. 10 references, 3 figures.

• Research Organization: California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena
• OSTI ID: 5969922
• 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
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& X-Ray Sources-- (-1987)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
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ELECTRON PAIRS
INTERACTIONS
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PAIR PRODUCTION
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