Discovery of a remarkable subpulse drift pattern in PSR B0818-41

Abstract

We report the discovery of a remarkable subpulse drift pattern in the relatively less studied wide profile pulsar, B0818-41, using high sensitivity GMRT observations. We find simultaneous occurrence of three drift regions with two different drift rates: an inner region with steeper apparent drift rate flanked on each side by a region of slower apparent drift rate. Furthermore, these closely spaced drift bands always maintain a constant phase relationship. Though these drift regions have significantly different values for the measured P2, the measured P3 value is the same and equal to 18.3 P1. We interpret the unique drift pattern of this pulsar as being created by the intersection of our line of sight (LOS) with two conal rings on the polar cap of a fairly aligned rotator (inclination angle alpha ~ 11 deg), with an ``inner'' LOS geometry (impact angle beta ~ -5.4 deg). We argue that both the rings have the same values for the carousel rotation periodicity P4 and the number of sparks Nsp. We find that Nsp is 19-21 and show that it is very likely that, P4 is the same as the measured P3, making it a truly unique pulsar. We present results from simulations of the radiation pattern using the inferred parameters, that support our interpretations and reproduce the average profile as well as the observed features in the drift pattern quite well.

5 pages and 7 figures, Accepted for publication in MNRAS Letters

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• Investigation of the unique nulling properties of PSR B0818-41
• The frequency-dependent behaviour of subpulse drifting: I. Carousel geometry and emission heights of PSR B0031-07
• Inter-relationship between the Two Emission Cones of B1237+25
• Exploring the remarkable subpulse drift and polarization properties of PSR B0818-41
• Nulling and subpulse drifting in PSR J1727-2739
• Results from multi-frequency observations of PSR B0826-34
• Explaining the subpulse drift velocity of pulsar magnetosphere within the space-charge limited flow model
• Linear-drifting sub-pulse sources in radio pulsars
• Possible evidence that pulsars are quark stars
• Testing the circularity of PSR B0818-41's carousel