Differential frequency-dependent delay from the pulsar magnetosphere
Journal article, 2013

Some radio pulsars show clear "drifting subpulses", in which subpulses are seen to drift in pulse longitude in a systematic pattern. Here we examine how the drifting subpulses of PSR B0809+74 evolve with time and observing frequency. We show that the subpulse period (P-3) is constant on timescales of days, months and years, and between 14-5100 MHz. Despite this, the shapes of the driftbands change radically with frequency. Previous studies have concluded that, while the subpulses appear to move through the pulse window approximately linearly at low frequencies (<500 MHz), a discrete step of similar to 180 degrees in subpulse phase is observed at higher frequencies (>820 MHz) near to the peak of the average pulse profile. We use LOFAR, GMRT, GBT, WSRT and Effelsberg 100-m data to explore the frequency-dependence of this phase step. We show that the size of the subpulse phase step increases gradually, and is observable even at low frequencies. We attribute the subpulse phase step to the presence of two separate driftbands, whose relative arrival times vary with frequency - one driftband arriving 30 pulses earlier at 20 MHz than it does at 1380 MHz, whilst the other arrives simultaneously at all frequencies. The drifting pattern which is observed here cannot be explained by either the rotating carousel model or the surface oscillation model, and could provide new insight into the physical processes happening within the pulsar magnetosphere.

drifting subpulses

pulsars: individual: PSR B0809+74

model

radiation

telescopes

polarization

emission

telescope

stability

profiles

pulsars: general

radio pulsars

psr b0809+74

Author

T. E. Hassall

University of Southampton

B. W. Stappers

University of Manchester

P. Weltevrede

University of Manchester

J. W. T. Hessels

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy

A. Alexov

Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy

Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

T. Coenen

Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy

A. Karastergiou

University of Oxford

M. Kramer

University of Manchester

Max Planck Society

E. F. Keane

Max Planck Society

V. I. Kondratiev

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

J. van Leeuwen

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy

A. Noutsos

Max Planck Society

M. Pilia

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

M. Serylak

Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers

Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS)

C. Sobey

Max Planck Society

K. Zagkouris

University of Oxford

R. Fender

University of Southampton

M. E. Bell

University of Southampton

The University of Sydney

J. Broderick

University of Southampton

J. Eisloffel

H. Falcke

Radboud University

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

J. M. Griessmeier

Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers

Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS)

M. Kuniyoshi

Max Planck Society

J. C. A. Miller-Jones

Curtin University

Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy

M. W. Wise

Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

O. Wucknitz

University of Bonn

Max Planck Society

P. Zarka

Observatoire de Paris-Meudon

A. Asgekar

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

Fabien Batejat

Chalmers, Earth and Space Sciences, Radio Astronomy and Astrophysics

M. J. Bentum

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

G. Bernardi

University of Groningen

P. Best

University of Edinburgh

A. Bonafede

University of Hamburg

Jacobs University Bremen

F. Breitling

Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam

M. Brüggen

University of Hamburg

H. R. Butcher

Australian National University

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

B. Ciardi

Max Planck Society

F. De Gasperin

University of Hamburg

Max Planck Society

J. P. de Reijer

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

S. Duscha

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

R. A. Fallows

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

C. Ferrari

Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (UNS)

W. Frieswijk

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

M. A. Garrett

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

Leiden University

A. W. Gunst

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

G. Heald

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

M. Hoeft

E. Juette

Ruhr-Universität Bochum

P. Maat

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

J. P. McKean

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

M. J. Norden

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

M. Pandey-Pommier

Leiden University

Lyon Observatory

R. Pizzo

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

A. G. Polatidis

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

W. Reich

Max Planck Society

H. Rottgering

Leiden University

J. Sluman

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

Y. Tang

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

C. Tasse

Observatoire de Paris-Meudon

R. Vermeulen

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

R. J. van Weeren

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

Leiden University

S. J. Wijnholds

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

S. Yatawatta

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

Astronomy and Astrophysics

0004-6361 (ISSN) 1432-0746 (eISSN)

Vol. 552 A61

Subject Categories

Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology

DOI

10.1051/0004-6361/201220764

More information

Latest update

4/5/2022 6