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Heating of the real polar cap of radio pulsars

Sznajder, Maciej and Geppert, Ulrich (2020) Heating of the real polar cap of radio pulsars. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/mnras/staa492. ISSN 0035-8711.

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Official URL: https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/493/3/3770/5739939

Abstract

The heating of the real polar cap surface of radio pulsars by the bombardment of ultra-relativistic charges is studied. The real polar cap is a significantly smaller area within or close by the conventional polar cap, which is encircled by the last open field lines of the dipolar field B⃗ d⁠. It is surrounded by those field lines of the small-scale local surface field B⃗ s that join the last open field lines of B⃗ d in a height of ∼105 cm above the cap. As the ratio of radii of the conventional and real polar cap Rdip/Rpc ∼ 10, flux conservation requires Bs/Bd ∼ 100. For rotational periods P ∼ 0.5 s, Bs ∼ 1014 G creates a strong electric potential gap that forms the inner accelerating region (IAR) in which charges gain kinetic energies ∼3 × 1014 eV. This sets an upper limit for the energy that backflowing charges can release as heat in the surface layers of the real polar cap. Within the IAR, which is flown through with a dense stream of extremely energetic charges, no stable atmosphere of hydrogen can survive. Therefore, we consider the polar cap as a solidified ‘naked’ surface consisting of fully ionized iron ions. We discuss the physical situation at the real polar cap, calculate its surface temperatures Ts as functions of Bs and P, and compare the results with X-ray observations of radio pulsars.

Item URL in elib:https://elib.dlr.de/135596/
Document Type:Article
Title:Heating of the real polar cap of radio pulsars
Authors:
AuthorsInstitution or Email of AuthorsAuthor's ORCID iDORCID Put Code
Sznajder, MaciejUNSPECIFIEDhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-9917-0581UNSPECIFIED
Geppert, UlrichUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Date:11 February 2020
Journal or Publication Title:Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Refereed publication:Yes
Open Access:Yes
Gold Open Access:No
In SCOPUS:Yes
In ISI Web of Science:Yes
DOI:10.1093/mnras/staa492
Publisher:Oxford University Press
ISSN:0035-8711
Status:Published
Keywords:stars: interiors, stars: magnetic field, stars: neutron, pulsars: general
HGF - Research field:Aeronautics, Space and Transport
HGF - Program:Space
HGF - Program Themes:Space System Technology
DLR - Research area:Raumfahrt
DLR - Program:R SY - Space System Technology
DLR - Research theme (Project):R - Vorhaben Systemkonditionierung (old)
Location: Bremen
Institutes and Institutions:Institute of Space Systems > Mechanic and Thermal Systems
Deposited By: Sznajder, Dr.-Ing. Maciej
Deposited On:28 Jul 2020 09:28
Last Modified:24 Oct 2023 11:42

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