Magnetospheric shock discontinuities in pulsars. I - Analysis of the inertial effects at the light cylinder

Abstract

view Abstract Citations (31) References (6) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS Magnetospheric shock discontinuities in pulsars. I. Analysis of the inertial effects at the light cylinder. Ardavan, H. Abstract A relativistic version of the generalized Ohm's law is derived, and on the basis of this equation, the conditions for the validity of the magnetohydrodynamic approximation where the electric field plus the plasma streaming velocity (in terms of c) times the magnetic field equals zero in the limit where the Lorentz factor is much greater than unity are investigated. It is found that, independent of the relative magnitudes of the inertial and the magnetic forces, this approximation is applicable to the corotating part of the magnetosphere of a pulsar as long as a certain factor is much less than unity. From this result, the extent of the region of the magnetosphere within which the inertial forces come into effect is estimated, and it is shown that throughout this region - whose thickness is of the order of the mean free path of an electron in the plasma - the gradients of the various plasma variables are significantly large. It is then proposed that a solution of the plasma-electromagnetic field equations consistent with these conditions is one which entails the presence of a steady shock discontinuity at the light cylinder. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: January 1976 DOI: 10.1086/154071 Bibcode: 1976ApJ...203..226A Keywords: Pulsar Magnetospheres; Pulsars; Shock Fronts; Stellar Atmospheres; Momentum Theory; Plasma Frequencies; Relativistic Theory; Shock Waves; Astrophysics full text sources ADS |