Unit:
Κατεύθυνση Αστροφυσική, Αστρονομία και Μηχανική (ΒΑΣΙΚΗ ΦΥΣΙΚΗ)Library of the School of Science
Supervisors info:
Ιωάννης Κοντόπουλος, Διευθυντής Ερευνών, Κέντρο Ερευνών Αστρονομίας και Εφαρμοσμένων Μαθηματικών της Ακαδημίας Αθηνών
Νεκτάριος Βλαχάκης, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Φυσικής, Ε.Κ.Π.Α
Original Title:
Particle Acceleration in the Current Sheet of Pulsar Magnetospheres
Translated title:
Particle Acceleration in the Current Sheet of Pulsar Magnetospheres
Summary:
We investigate the mechanism and the origin of high-energy emission from the pulsar magnetosphere. We consider a simple semi-analytic model, the so-called "ring of fire", that satisfies global electric current closure. According to this model, a dissipation zone develops in the magnetosphere at the edge of the closed-line region beyond the light cylinder. Electrons and positrons are accelerated inwards and outwards respectively along relativistic Speiser orbits that are deflected in the azimuthial direction by the pulsar’s rotation. After they exit the reconnection layer, the outward moving positrons form the equatorial return current sheet, and the inward moving electrons form the separatrix return current sheet. The particles lose their energy via curvature radiation mostly outside of the dissipation zone, along the current sheets. We present the first results of extensive numerical simulations that routinely integrate the particle’s equations of motion in a given electromagnetic field with radiation losses, and calculate particle orbits and the resulting high-energy spectra.
Main subject category:
Science
Keywords:
Pulsars, neutron stars, magnetosphere, magnetohydrodynamics, special relativity, particle acceleration, high energy radiation
