Subscribe to the gold package and get unlimited access to Shamra Academy
Register a new userAn Atlas For Interpreting Gamma-Ray Pulsar Light Curves
236
0
0.0
(
0
)
Authors
Kyle P. Watters
Ask ChatGPT about the research
No Arabic abstract
We have simulated a population of young spin-powered pulsars and computed the beaming pattern and lightcurves for the three main geometrical models: polar cap emission, two-pole caustic (slot gap) emission and outer magnetosphere emission. The light curve shapes depend sensitively on the magnetic inclination alpha and viewing angle zeta. We present the results as maps of observables such as peak multiplicity and gamma-ray peak separation in the (alpha, zeta) plane. These diagrams can be used to locate allowed regions for radio-loud and radio-quiet pulsars and to convert observed fluxes to true all-sky emission.
rate research
Read More
We previously obtained constraints on the viewing geometries of 6 Fermi LAT pulsars using a multiwavelength approach (Seyffert et al., 2011). To obtain these constraints we compared the observed radio and $gamma$-ray light curves (LCs) for those 6 pulsars by eye to LCs predicted by geometric models detailing the location and extent of emission regions in a pulsar magnetosphere. As a precursor to obtaining these constraints, a parameter study was conducted to reinforce our qualitative understanding of how the underlying model parameters effect the LCs produced by the geometric models. Extracting useful trends from the $gamma$-ray model LCs proved difficult though due to the increased complexity of the geometric models for the $gamma$-ray emission relative to those for the radio emission. In this paper we explore a second approach to investigating the interplay between the model parameters and the LC atlas. This approach does not attempt to understand how the set of model parameters influences the LC shapes directly, but rather, more fundamentally, investigates how the set of model parameters effects the sky maps from which the latter are extracted. This allows us to also recognise structure within the atlas itself, as we are now able to attribute certain features of the LCs to specific features on the sky map, meaning that we not only understand how the structure of single LCs come about, but also how their structure changes as we move through the geometric solution space.
Guillemot et al. recently reported the discovery of $gamma$-ray pulsations from the 22.7ms pulsar (pulsar A) in the famous double pulsar system J0737-3039A/B. The $gamma$-ray light curve (LC) of pulsar A has two peaks separated by approximately half a rotation, and these are non-coincident with the observed radio and X-ray peaks. This suggests that the $gamma$-ray emission originates in a part of the magnetosphere distinct from where the radio and X-ray radiation is generated. Thus far, three different methods have been applied to constrain the viewing geometry of pulsar A (its inclination and observer angles $alpha$ and $zeta$): geometric modelling of the radio and $gamma$-ray light curves, modelling of the position angle sweep in phase seen in the radio polarisation data, and independent studies of the time evolution of the radio pulse profile of pulsar A. These three independent, complementary methods have yielded consistent results: pulsar As rotation axis is likely perpendicular to the orbital plane of the binary system, and its magnetic axis close to lying in the orbital plane (making this pulsar an orthogonal rotator). The observer is furthermore observing emission close to the magnetic axis. Thus far, however, current models could not reproduce all the characteristics of the radio and $gamma$-ray light curves, specifically the large radio-to-$gamma$ phase lag. In this paper we discuss some preliminary modelling attempts to address this problem, and offer ideas on how the LC fits may be improved by adapting the standard geometric models in order to reproduce the profile positions more accurately.
The second pulsar catalogue of the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) will contain in excess of 100 gamma-ray pulsars. The light curves (LCs) of these pulsars exhibit a variety of shapes, and also different relative phase lags with respect to their radio pulses, hinting at distinct underlying emission properties (e.g., inclination and observer angles) for the individual pulsars. Detailed geometric modelling of the radio and gamma-ray LCs may provide constraints on the B-field structure and emission geometry. We used different B-field solutions, including the static vacuum dipole and the retarded vacuum dipole, in conjunction with an existing geometric modelling code, and constructed radiation sky maps and LCs for several different pulsar parameters. Standard emission geometries were assumed, namely the two-pole caustic (TPC) and outer gap (OG) models. The sky maps and LCs of the various B-field and radiation model combinations were compared to study their effect on the resulting LCs. As an application, we compared our model LCs with Fermi LAT data for the Vela pulsar, and inferred the most probable configuration in this case, thereby constraining Velas high-altitude magnetic structure and system geometry.
Since the launch of the Fermi Large Area Telescope in 2008 the number of known ${gamma}$-ray pulsars has increased immensely to over 200, many of which are also visible in the radio and X-ray bands. Seyffert et al. (2011) demonstrated how constraints on the viewing geometries of some of these pulsars could be obtained by comparing their observed radio and ${gamma}$-ray light curves by eye to light curves from geometric models. While these constraints compare reasonably well with those yielded by more rigorous single-wavelength approaches, they are still a somewhat subjective representation of how well the models reproduce the observed radio and ${gamma}$-ray light curves. Constructing a more rigorous approach is, however, made difficult by the large uncertainties associated with the ${gamma}$-ray light curves as compared to those associated with the radio light curves. Naively applying a ${chi}^{2}$-like goodness-of-fit test to both bands invariably results in constraints dictated by the radio light curves. A number of approaches have been proposed to address this issue. In this paper we investigate these approaches and evaluate the results they yield. Based on what we learn, we implement our own version of a goodness-of-fit test, which we then use to investigate the behaviour of the geometric models in multi-dimensional phase space.
We present results for a large number of gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglow light curve calculations, done by combining high resolution two-dimensional relativistic hydrodynamics simulations using RAM with a synchrotron radiation code. Results were obtained for jet energies, circumburst medium densities and jet angles typical for short and underluminous GRBs, different observer angles and observer frequencies from low radio (75 MHz) to X-ray (1.5 keV). We summarize the light curves through smooth power law fits with up to three breaks, covering jet breaks for small observer angles, the rising phase for large observer angles and the rise and decay of the counterjet. All light curve data are publicly available via http://cosmo.nyu.edu/afterglowlibrary . The data can be used for model fits to observational data and as an aid for predicting observations by future telescopes such as LOFAR or SKA and will benefit the study of neutron star mergers using different channels, such as gravitational wave observations with LIGO or Virgo. For small observer angles, we find jet break times that vary significantly between frequencies, with the break time in the radio substantially postponed. Increasing the observer angle also postpones the measured jet break time. The rising phase of the light curve for large observer angle has a complex shape that can not always be summarized by a simple power law. Except for very large observer angles, the counter jet is a distinct feature in the light curve, although in practice the signal will be exceedingly difficult to observe by then.
Log in to be able to interact and post comments
comments
Fetching comments
Sign in to be able to follow your search criteria
