Constraint on the parameters of the inverse compton scattering model for radio pulsars

Abstract

The inverse Compton scattering (ICS) model can explain various pulse profile shapes and the diversity of the pulse profile evolution based on the mechanism where the radio emission is generated through ICS between secondary relativistic particles and radio waves from polar gap avalanches. In this paper, we study the parameter space of the ICS model for 15 pulsars that share the common pulse profile evolution phenomenon, where the pulse profiles are narrower at higher observing frequencies. Two key parameters, the initial Lorentz factor and the energy loss factor of secondary particles, are constrained using the least-squares fitting method, where we fit the theoretical curve of the "beam-frequency mapping" of the ICS model to the observed pulse widths at multiple frequencies. The uncertainty of the inclination and viewing angles are taken into account in the fitting process. It is found that the initial Lorentz factor is larger than 4000, and the energy loss factor is between 20 and 560. The Lorentz factor is consistent with the prediction of the inner vacuum gap model. Such high-energy loss factors suggest significant energy loss for secondary particles at altitudes of a few tens to hundreds of kilometers. © 2011 The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.