Model of peak separation in the gamma light curve of the Vela pulsar

The separation Δ peak between two peaks in the gamma‐ray pulse profile is calculated as a function of energy for several polar cap models with curvature‐radiation induced cascades. The Monte Carlo results are interpreted with the help of analytical approximations and discussed in view of the recent data analysis for the Vela pulsar. We find that the behaviour of Δ peak as a function of photon energy ε depends primarily on local values of the magnetic field, B local , in the region where electromagnetic cascades develop. For low values of B local (<10 12  G), Δ peak ( ε ) is kept constant. However, for stronger magnetic fields (≳10 12  G) in the hollow‐column model, Δ peak decreases with increasing photon energy at a rate dependent on the maximum energy of the beam particles, as well as on viewing geometry. There exists a critical photon energy ε turn above which the relation Δ peak ( ε ) changes drastically: for , in hollow‐column models the separation Δ peak increases (whereas in the filled‐column model it decreases) rapidly with increasing ε , at a rate of ∼0.28 of the total phase per decade of photon energy. The existence of critical energy ε turn is a direct consequence of one‐photon magnetic absorption effects. In general, ε turn is located close to the high‐energy cut‐off of the spectrum, thus photon statistics at ε turn should be very low. This will make it difficult to verify the existence of ε turn in real gamma‐ray pulsars. Spectral properties of the Vela pulsar would favour those models that use low values of magnetic field in the emission region which in turn implies a constant value of the predicted Δ peak within the range of EGRET .