Thomas Kunzl, Harald Lesch, Axel Jessner, Alexis von Hoensbroech
Published 1998-08-06Version 1
We consider the widespread assumption that coherent pulsar radio emission is based on extended pair production leading to plasma densities highly exceeding the Goldreich-Julian density. We show as an example that the observed low frequency (160 MHz) emission of the Crab pulsar is incompatible to the model of extended pair production. Our results rule out significant pair production if a plasma process is responsible for coherence and the radio emission originates from inside the light cylinder.
Comments: accepted for publication in ApJ Letters; 4 pages, no figures
The Crab pulsar and its red knot in the near-infrared
Curvature radiation and giant subpulses in the Crab pulsar
High Speed Phase-Resolved 2-d UBV Photometry of the Crab pulsar
