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On the origin of the drifting subpulses in radio pulsars
Author(s) -
Gogoberidze G.,
Machabeli G. Z.,
Melrose D. B.,
Luo Q.
Publication year - 2005
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.1365-2966.2005.09070.x
Subject(s) - physics , pulsar , magnetosphere , magnetic field , rotation period , rotation (mathematics) , wavelength , astrophysics , radio wave , stellar rotation , computational physics , stars , optics , geometry , mathematics , quantum mechanics
We present a model for the main observational characteristics of the radio emission of pulsars with well‐organized drifting subpulses. We propose that drifting subpulses result from the modulation of the radio emission mechanism due to long‐wavelength drift waves in the magnetosphere. The drift waves are generated at shorter wavelengths, and their non‐linear evolution favours accumulation in a specific azimuthal eigenmode with an integral number, m , of nodes encircling the magnetic pole. The electric field of the drift waves is along the magnetic field lines, and this modulates the distribution for particles and hence the radio emission mechanism. The ratio of the frequency of the eigenmode to the rotation frequency of the star is insensitive to the magnetic field strength and the period of rotation, and is of order unity. The period, P 3 , of the drifting subpulses is attributed to the mismatch between this frequency and the nearest harmonic of the rotation frequency of the star.

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