A Periodically Active Pulsar Giving Insight into Magnetospheric Physics
Top Cited Papers
- 28 April 2006
- journal article
- other
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 312 (5773) , 549-551
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1124060
Abstract
PSR B1931+24 (J1933+2421) behaves as an ordinary isolated radio pulsar during active phases that are 5 to 10 days long. However, when the radio emission ceases, it switches off in less than 10 seconds and remains undetectable for the next 25 to 35 days, then switches on again. This pattern repeats quasi-periodically. The origin of this behavior is unclear. Even more remarkably, the pulsar rotation slows down 50% faster when it is on than when it is off. This indicates a massive increase in magnetospheric currents when the pulsar switches on, proving that pulsar wind plays a substantial role in pulsar spin-down. This allows us, for the first time, to estimate the magnetospheric currents in a pulsar magnetosphere during the occurrence of radio emission.Keywords
All Related Versions
This publication has 10 references indexed in Scilit:
- A powerful bursting radio source towards the Galactic CentreNature, 2005
- Long-term timing observations of 374 pulsarsMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2004
- Evidence for free precession in a pulsarNature, 2000
- Magnetar Spin-DownThe Astrophysical Journal, 1999
- A survey for short-period pulsarsNature, 1985
- The galactic population of pulsarsMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 1985
- Pulsar Nulling PhenomenaNature, 1970
- Pulsar ElectrodynamicsThe Astrophysical Journal, 1969
- Magnetic Dipole Radiation from PulsarsNature, 1969
- Energy Emission from a Neutron StarNature, 1967