Radiative or two-stream instability as a source for pulsar radio emission

Journal Article · Tue Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1983 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/160770· OSTI ID:6303258

Asseo, E; Pellat, R; Sol, H

The origin of the radio wave emission in pulsars has been related to the growth of either radiative or two-stream instability in the open magnetosphere, above the neutron star magnetic poles. The radiative electromagnetic instability is produced by a single relativistic beam flowing along a curved path. The two-stream instability results from the interaction between positron and electron beams created above the polar caps. To explore and test these physical mechanisms we develop the calculations in the case adapted to pulsars where the beams are finite in extent, curved because field aligned, and immersed in the external plasma (or vacuum). The two instabilities are obtained from the same dispersion relation in two different asymptotic limits. Our description favors the narrow-band emission process. Considerable latitude exists in specifying the particle densities and energies. By means of sets of physical parameters usual in pulsar magnetospheres, we find that the electromagnetic energy radiated through the beam boundaries is not compatible with the radio luminosity observed from pulsars unless the expected beams are denser and constituted by particles much more energetic than usually admitted in the literature.

• Research Organization: Centre de Physique Theorique de l'Ecole Polytechnique, France
• OSTI ID: 6303258
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 266:1; 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
ANTILEPTONS
ANTIMATTER
ANTIPARTICLES
ATMOSPHERES
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
DISPERSION RELATIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EMISSION SPECTRA
FERMIONS
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
INSTABILITY
LEPTONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MECHANICS
NEUTRON STARS
PLASMA
PLASMA ACCELERATION
PLASMA INSTABILITY
POSITRONS
PULSARS
RADIATIONS
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
SPECTRA
STAR MODELS
STARS
STELLAR ATMOSPHERES
STELLAR MAGNETOSPHERES