A Particle Simulation for the Pulsar Magnetosphere: Relationship of Polar Cap, Slot Gap, and Outer Gap

Abstract

To explain the pulsed emission of the rotation powered pulsars from radio to gamma-ray, polar cap models, slot gap models, and outer gap models are proposed. Recent observations suggest that these models are likely to co-exist in the same magnetosphere. If so, their mutual relation is known to be troublesome (Harding 2009), due to the boundary conditions and the direction of the current, which are properly assumed in each acceleration model. We performed a particle simulation for the global magnetospheric structure. Based on this simulation, we present a new picture of the global structure of the pulsar magnetosphere. It is found that a new dead zone is formed along the current neutral line that separates the oppositely directed current. We shall call this the current-neutral zone. We suggest that the polar cap accelerators and the slot gaps locate above the current-neutral zone, and the outer gap exist between the current neutral zone and the traditional dead zone. We also give an estimate of the super-rotation region.