Open AccessAn idealized pulsar magnetosphere: the relativistic force‐free approximation
Author(s) -
Goodwin Simon P.,
Mestel Jonathan,
Mestel Leon,
Wright Geoffrey A. E.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2004.07481.x
Subject(s) - physics , magnetosphere , pulsar , dissipative system , classical mechanics , boundary value problem , cylinder , field (mathematics) , quantum electrodynamics , magnetic field , astrophysics , quantum mechanics , geometry , mathematics , pure mathematics
ABSTRACT The non‐dissipative relativistic force‐free condition should be a good approximation to describe the electromagnetic field in much of the pulsar magnetosphere, but we may plausibly expect it to break down in singular domains. Self‐consistent magnetospheric solutions are found with field lines closing both at and within the light‐cylinder. In general, the detailed properties of the solutions may be affected critically by the physics determining the appropriate choice of equatorial boundary condition beyond the light‐cylinder.