Open AccessThe effect of differential refraction on wave propagation in rotating pulsar magnetospheres
Author(s) -
Fussell D.,
Luo Q.
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.1365-2966.2004.07581.x
Subject(s) - physics , pulsar , magnetosphere , refraction , rotation (mathematics) , differential rotation , plasma , computational physics , wave propagation , asymmetry , astrophysics , optics , quantum mechanics , geometry , stars , mathematics
Refraction of wave propagation in a corotating pulsar magnetospheric plasma is considered as a possible interpretation for observed asymmetric pulse profiles with multiple components. The pulsar radio emission produced inside the magnetosphere propagates outwards through the rotating magnetosphere, subject to refraction by the intervening plasma that is spatially inhomogeneous. Both effects of a relativistic distribution of the plasma and rotation on wave propagation are considered. It is shown that refraction coupled with rotation can produce asymmetric conal structures of the profile. The differential refraction due to the rotation can cause the conal structures to skew towards the rotation direction and leads to asymmetry in relative intensities between the leading and trailing components. Both of these features are potentially observable.