Temporal Evolution of the Vela Pulsar's Pulse Profile

Abstract

The mechanisms of emission and changes in rotation frequency ('glitching') of the Vela pulsar (J0835-4510) are not well understood. Further insight into these mechanisms can be achieved by long-term studies of integrated pulse width, timing residuals, and bright pulse rates. We have undertaken an intensive observing campaign of Vela and collected over 6000 hours of single pulse data. The data shows that the pulse width changes with time, including marked jumps in width after micro-glitches (frequency changes). The abundance of bright pulses also changes after some micro-glitches, but not all. The secular changes in pulse width have three possible cyclic periods, that match with X-ray periodicities of a helical jet that are interpreted as free precession.

arXiv comment6 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal

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• Vortex Pinning in Neutron Stars, Slip-stick Dynamics, and the Origin of Spin Glitches
• Autocorrelations in pulsar glitch waiting times and sizes
• First results of the glitching pulsars monitoring program at the Argentine Institute of Radioastronomy
• One year of monitoring the Vela pulsar using a Phased Array Feed
• Giant micropulse emission in the Vela pulsar at C band
• Study of the 2024 major Vela glitch at the Argentine Institute of Radioastronomy
• Hyperbolic limit on the early arrival time of bright pulses from PSR~J0835$-$4510 (Vela)