On the role of the current loss in radio pulsar evolution |
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| Authors: | V S Beskin E E Nokhrina |
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| Institution: | (1) P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute, RAS, Leninsky pr. 53, Moscow, 119991, Russia;(2) Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Institutsky per. 9, Dolgoprudny, 141700, Russia |
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| Abstract: | The aim of this article is to draw attention to the importance of the electric current loss in the energy output of radio
pulsars. We remind that even the losses attributed to the magneto-dipole radiation of a pulsar in vacuum can be written as
a result of an Ampere force action of the electric currents flowing over the neutron star surface (see the books of Michel
(Theory of Neutron Star Magnetosphere. University of Chicago Press (1991)) and of Beskin, Gurevich and Istomin (Physics of the Pulsar Magnetosphere. Cambridge Univ. Press (1993)). It is this force that is responsible for the transfer of angular momentum of a neutron star
to an outgoing magneto-dipole wave. If a pulsar is surrounded by plasma, and there is no longitudinal current in its magnetosphere,
there is no energy loss. It is the longitudinal current closing within the pulsar polar cap that exerts the retardation torque
acting on the neutron star. This torque can be determined if the structure of longitudinal current is known. Here we remind
of the solution by Beskin, Gurevich and Istomin (ed. cit.) and discuss the validity of such an assumption. The behavior of
the recently observed “part-time job” pulsar B1931+24 can be naturally explained within the model of current loss while the
magneto-dipole model faces difficulties.
This work was partially supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (Grant no. 05-02-17700) and Dynasty fund. Elena
Nokhrina thanks the Conference Organizing Committee for the PPARC/Padova University Grant, and the RFFR for the travel grant
(no. 06-02-26645). |
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| Keywords: | Neutron stars Magnetosphere Pulsars |
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