Synthetic pulsar lightcurves from global kinetic simulations and comparison with the Fermi-LAT catalog

Abstract

Rotation-powered pulsars represent the main class of identified gamma-ray sources in the Galaxy. The wealth of observational data collected by the AGILE and Fermi gamma-ray space telescopes in the GeV range, and by ground-based Cherenkov telescopes in the TeV band provide invaluable insights into how relativistic plasmas dissipate and accelerate particles. Decoding the information contained in the gamma-ray pulses profile is an important step to understand how pulsars work. In this study, we aim at putting an ab initio plasma model of pulsar magnetospheres to the test, in light of the most recent gamma-ray observations in the GeV and TeV bands. To this end, we present of a new series of global particle-in-cell simulations of an inclined pulsar magnetosphere. High-quality synthetic pulse profiles in the synchrotron and inverse Compton channels are reconstructed to study in greater details their morphology and their energy dependence. We also perform a fit of observed lightcurves with the model, using the third Fermi-LAT gamma-ray pulsar catalog. Reconnection in the wind current sheet powers synchrotron and inverse Compton emission. The modeled pulse profiles reproduce some of the salient features of observed gamma-ray pulsars, including the mysterious Vela-like lightcurves, such as: the generic double-peaked structure, the presence of a bridge or third peak in between the main pulses, the pulse narrowing with increasing energy. The bolometric synchrotron radiative efficiency is strictly limited by the reconnection rate. Our global kinetic simulations are able to match observed pulse profiles. Such direct comparisons will help drive and focus future simulation developments.

16 pages, 13 figures, 1 appendix, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

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