The Thousand-Pulsar-Array programme on MeerKAT - VIII. The subpulse modulation of 1198 pulsars

We report on the subpulse modulation properties of 1198 pulsars using the Thousand-Pulsar-Array programme on MeerKAT. About 35 per cent of the analysed pulsars exhibit drifting subpulses that are more pronounced towards the death line, consistent with previous studies. We estimate that this common phenomenon is detectable in 60 per cent of the overall pulsar population if high-quality data were available for all. This large study reveals the evolution of drifting subpulses across the pulsar population in unprecedented detail. In particular, we find that the modulation period P-3 follows a V-shaped evolution with respect to the characteristic age tau(c), such that the smallest P-3 values, corresponding to the Nyquist period P-3 ? 2, are found at tau(c) ? 10(7.5) yr. The V-shaped evolution can be interpreted and reproduced if young pulsars possess aliased fast intrinsic P-3, which monotonically increase, ultimately achieving a slow unaliased P-3. Enhancement of irregularities in intrinsic subpulse modulation by aliasing in small-tau(c) pulsars would explain their observed less well defined P-3's and weaker spectral features. Modelling these results as rotating subbeams, their circulation must slow down as the pulsar evolves. This is the opposite to that expected if circulation is driven by E x B drift. This can be resolved if the observed P-3 periodicity is due to a beat between an E x B system and the pulsar period. As a by-product, we identified the correct periods and spin-down rates for 12 pulsars, for which harmonically related values were reported in the literature.

Automated summary

We present a study on the subpulse modulation properties of 1198 pulsars using the Thousand-Pulsar-Array programme on MeerKAT. We find that about 35% of the pulsars analyzed exhibit drifting subpulses, which become more pronounced towards the death line. Furthermore, our study reveals the detailed evolution of drifting subpulses across the overall pulsar population, with the modulation period following a V-shaped evolution with respect to the characteristic age.