arXiv subjects

R. X. Xu

Publications and source records attributed to R. X. Xu.

134 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

arXiv1999

An inverse Compton scattering (ICS) model of pulsar emission: III. polarization

Qiao and his collaborators recently proposed an inverse Compton Scattering (ICS) model to explain radio emission of pulsars. In this paper, we investigate the polarization properties of pulsar emission in the model. First of all, using the lower frequency approximation, we derived the analytical amplitude of inverse Compton scattered wave of a single electron in strong magnetic field. We found that the out-going radio emission of a single relativistic electron scattering off the ``low frequency waves'' produced by gap-sparking should be linearly polarized and have no circular polarization at all. However, considering the coherency of the emission from a bunch of electrons, we found that the out-going radiation from the inner part of emission beam, i.e., that from the lower emission altitudes, prefers to have circular polarization. Computer simulations show that the polarization properties, such as the sense reversal of circular polarization near the pulse center, S-shape of position angle swing of the linear polarization, strong linear polarization in conal components, can be reproduced in the ICS model.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1999

Recent developments of inverse Compton scattering model of pulsar radio emission

Many theoretical efforts were made to understand the core and conal emission identified from observations by Rankin (1983) and Lyne and Manchester (1988). One of them, named as inverse Compton scattering (ICS) model (Qiao & Lin 1998), has been proposed. It is found in the model that: there are central or `core' emission beam, and one or two hollow conical emission beams; the different emission components are emitted at different heights; owing to different radiation components emitted from different height, the observed emission beams can be shifted from each other due to retardation and aberration effects; the sizes of emission components change with frequencies. Recent developments of the model include: simulations of pulse profiles at different frequencies; studying the basic polarization properties of inverse Compton scattering in strong magnetic fields; computing the polarizations and spectrum of core and cones. A new classification system was also proposed. The main results calculated from the model are consistent with the observations.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1999

Are Pulsars Bare Strange Stars?

It is believed that pulsars are neutron stars or strange stars with crusts. However we suggest here that pulsars may be bare strange stars (i.e., strange stars without crust). Due to rapid rotation and strong emission, young strange stars produced in supernova explosions should be bare when they act as radio pulsars. Because of strong magnetic field, two polar-crusts would shield the polar caps of an accreting strange star. Such a suggestion can be checked by further observations.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1999

High-energy accelerators above pulsar polar caps

Similar to the terrestrial collision accelerators of electron-antielectron, another kind of accelerator is above a positively or negatively charged pulsar polar cap. In the case of pulsars with magnetic axis parallel (anti-parallel) to rotational axis, relativistic antielectron (electron) with Lorentz factor about 10^6 hit the electrons in the polar caps. These scenarios are investigated both for pulsars being bare strange stars and for pulsars being neutron stars. Such a study may be valuable to differentiate neutron stars and bare strange stars observationally.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1999

GRB: A Signature of Phase Transition to QGP?

It is suggested that the inner energetic engine of Gamma ray burst (GRB) may be the result of the transition of normal hadron to quark-gluon plasma (QGP) in rapidly-rotating and spin-down newborn neutron star. When such a nascent neutron star slows down through dipole electromagnetic and quadruple gravitational radiation, the increasing center density may reach the QCD transition density, i.e., 5-10 nuclear density. Such kind of energy release from the phase transition would be responsible for GRB and its possible beaming effect. The relative dense gaseous environment of GRB location and the iron line observed in the X-ray afterglow support this idea. Some predictions in this model are given. keywords: Gamma-ray Bursts, Supernova, Quark-gluon plasma

astro-ph↗

arXiv1999

Electric Character of Strange Stars

Using the Thomas-Fermi model, we investigated the electric characteristics of a static non-magnetized strange star without crust in this paper. The exact solutions of electron number density and electric field above the quark surface are obtained. These results are useful if we are concerned about physical processes near the quark matter surfaces of strange stars.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1999

PSR 0943+10: a bare strange star?

Recent work by Rankin & Deshpande strongly suggests that there exist strong ``micro-storms'' rotating around the magnetic axis of the 1.1s pulsar PSR 0943+10. Such a feature hints that most probably the large-voltage vacuum gap proposed by Ruderman & Sutherland (RS) does exist in the pulsar polar cap. However, there are severe arguments against the formation of the RS-type gap in pulsars, since the binding energies of both the Fe ions and the electrons in a neutron star's surface layer is too small to prevent thermionic ejection of the particles from the surface. Here we propose that PSR 0943+10 (probably also most of the other ``drifting'' pulsars) might be bare strange stars rather than normal neutron stars, in which the ``binding energy'' at the surface is merely infinity either for the case of ``pulsar'' or ``anti-pulsar''. It is further proposed that identifying a drifting pulsar as an anti-pulsar is the key criterion to distinguish strange stars from neutron stars.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1998

Circular polarization in pulsar integrated profiles

We present a systematic study of the circular polarization in pulsar integrated profiles, based on published polarization data. For core components, we find no significant correlation between the sense-change of circular polarization and the sense of linear position angle variation. Circular polarization is not restricted to core components and, in some cases, reversals of circular polarization sense are observed across the conal emission. In conal double profiles, the sense of circular polarization is found to be correlated with the sense of position-angle variation. Pulsars with a high degree of linear polarization often have one hand of circular polarization across the whole profile. For most pulsars, the sign of circular polarization is the same at 50-cm and 20-cm wavelength, and the degree of polarization is similar, albeit with a wide scatter. However, at least two cases of frequency-dependent sign reversals are known. This diverse behaviour may require more than one mechanism to generate circular polarization.

astro-ph↗