Relativistic Electron Injection into Axisymmetric Pulsar Magnetospheres

Abstract

A formalism introduced by Mestel, Robertson, Wang and Westfold for the description of electron outflow in axisymmetric pulsar magnetospheres, following injection with non-negligible speeds from the stellar surface, is extended here to incorporate emission with relativistic speeds. The formalism is then used to study the possible kinds of outflow. They are organized into five types, corresponding to differences in the emission speed and its variation with latitude, and into two classes according to whether or not they reach a region of rapid acceleration.