COHERENT CURVATURE EMISSION IN PULSAR MAGNETOSPHERES - NONDIPOLAR GEOMETRIC EFFECTS

Authors
Citation
Qh. Luo, COHERENT CURVATURE EMISSION IN PULSAR MAGNETOSPHERES - NONDIPOLAR GEOMETRIC EFFECTS, Proceedings - Astronomical Society of Australia, 10(3), 1993, pp. 258-262
Citations number
24
Categorie Soggetti
Astronomy & Astrophysics
ISSN journal
00669997
Volume
10
Issue
3
Year of publication
1993
Pages
258 - 262
Database
ISI
SICI code
0066-9997(1993)10:3<258:CCEIPM>2.0.ZU;2-K
Abstract
The effects of the specific geometry of the magnetic field (such as fi eld lines with torsion) on curvature emission and absorption in pulsar magnetospheres are discussed. Curvature maser emission can arise from two effects: the curvature drift, as has already been discussed in th e literature, and field line torsion as discussed here in detail for t he first time. Maser emission due to field line torsion can operate on ly when the Lorentz factor is larger than a certain value. However, wh en the Lorentz factor of electrons or positrons is sufficiently high, curvature masering is due to both curvature drift and magnetic field l ine torsion. The optical depth in the case of field line torsion is es timated. It is shown that if torsion is due to rotation, the resultant luminosity should be dependent on the rotation period in such a way t hat shorter periods correspond to larger luminosities.