PSR B0943+10: Mode Switch, Polar Cap Geometry, and Orthogonally Polarized Radiation

Abstract

As one of the paradigm examples to probe into pulsar magnetospheric dynamics, PSR B0943+10 (J0946+0951) manifests representatively, showing mode switch, orthogonal polarization and subpulse drifting, frequently studied below 600 MHz. Here both integrated and single pulses are studied at a high frequency (1.25 GHz) with FAST. The mode switch is studied using a profile decomposition method. A phase space evolution for the pulsar's mode switch shows a strange-attractor-like pattern. The radiative geometry is proposed by fitting polarization position angles with the rotating vector model. The pulsar pulse profile is then mapped to the sparking locations on pulsar surface, and the differences between the main pulse's and the precursor component's radiative processes may explain the X-ray's synchronization with radio mode switch. Detailed single pulse studies on B0943+10's orthogonally polarized radiation are presented, which may support for certain models of radiative transfer of polarized emission. Especially, the difference in OPMs' circular polarization might reflect the cyclotron absorption in pulsar magnetospheres. B0943+10's B and Q modes evolve differently with frequency and have different proportions of orthogonal modes, which indicates possible magnetospheric changes during mode switch. For Q mode pulse profile, the precursor and the main pulse components are orthogonally polarized, and are probably originated from different depths in the magnetosphere. The findings could impact significantly on pulsar electrodynamics and the radiative mechanism related.

The paper has been published by ApJ

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Cited by in corpus (5)

• Science Using Single-Pulse Exploration with Combined Telescopes. I. The mode switching, flaring, and single-pulse morphology of PSR B1822-09
• Rapid Rotation of Polarization Orientations in PSR B1919+21's Single Pulses: Implications On Pulsar's Magnetospheric Dynamics
• Origin of radio polarization in pulsar polar caps
• Multifrequency evolution of the Integrated pulse profile of radio pulsars by implementing the inverse Compton mechanism
• Pulsar electrodynamics inferred from frequency-dependent circular polarization diversity