Trajectories and radiation of charged particles in the pulsar magnetosphere

Trajectories and radiation of the accelerating electrons are studied in the pulsar magnetosphere approximated as the electromagnetic field of the Deutsch's solutions. Because the electrons are accelerated rapidly to ultra-relativistic velocity near the neutron star surface, the electron velocity vector (and then its trajectory) is derived from the balance between Lorentz force and radiation reaction force, which makes the pitch angle between electron trajectories and magnetic field lines non-zero in most part of the magnetosphere. In such a case, the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of synchro-curvature radiation for the accelerating electrons with a mono-energetic form are calculated. Our results indicate that: (i) the pitch angle is the function of electron position (r, theta, phi) in the open field line regions, and increases with increasing r and theta as well as increasing the inclination angle; (ii) the radius of curvature becomes large along the particle trajectory, and (iii) the SED appears a double peak structure depending on the emission position, where the synchrotron radiation plays an important role in X-ray band and curvature radiation mainly works in GeV band, which is only determined by parameters alpha and zeta.

Automated summary

This study examines the trajectories and radiation of accelerating electrons in the pulsar magnetosphere, approximated as the electromagnetic field of the Deutsch's solutions. The results show that the pitch angle between electron trajectories and magnetic field lines is non-zero in most of the magnetosphere, and the spectral energy distribution exhibits a double peak structure, with synchrotron radiation dominant in the X-ray band and curvature radiation prevailing in the GeV band.