The first detection of coherent emission from radio pulsars

The statistical properties of the radio emission from the pulsars B0823+26, B0950+08, B1133+16, and B1937+21 are studied using high time resolution observations taken at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. Temporally coherent non-Gaussian emission has been detected in three of the four observed objects. This is the first time such a phenomenon has been observed. The results have been interpreted using a generalized shot noise model, and various basic physical quantities pertaining to the magnetospheric plasma have been estimated.