Optical Observations of the Crab Nebula Pulsar

Abstract

view Abstract Citations (62) References (11) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS Optical Observations of the Crab Nebula Pulsar Wampler, E. Joseph ; Scargle, Jeffrey D. ; Miller, Joseph S. Abstract Optical observations of the pulsar NP 0532 show that the shape of the light curve was constant to a high degree of accuracy on three nights distributed over a 10-day interval; the shape also is in excellent agreement with a detailed curve reported by Warner, Nather, and MacFarlane. Light curves obtained in the infrared (`-~-`74OO A) and ultraviolet (`-~37OO A) are closely similar to each other. Detailed measure- ments of linear polarization as a function of phase show (1) that the percentage polarization is a minimum near the peaks of the main and secondary pulses and increases in the wings and (2) that the position angle rotates rapidly and in the same sense during both main and secondary pulses. A simple geometrical model consisting of a rotation axis inclined 77° to the line of sight and a "polarization axis" located in or near the rotational equatoria' plane is shown to fit the polarization data well. An upper limit of approxi- mately 10 percent is obtained for the amount of circular polarization of the main and secondary pulses Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: July 1969 DOI: 10.1086/180372 Bibcode: 1969ApJ...157L...1W full text sources ADS |