Synchronous X-ray and radio mode switches: A rapid global transformation of the pulsar magnetosphere

Hermsen, W.; Hessels, J.; Kuiper, L.; van Leeuwen, J.; Mitra, D.; de Plaa, J.; Rankin, J.; Stappers, B.; Wright, G.; Basu, R.; Alexov, A.; Coenen, T.; Griessmeier, J.; Hassall, T.; Karastergiou, A.; Keane, E.; Kondratiev, V.; Kramer, M.; Kuniyoshi, M.; Noutsos, A.; Serylak, M.; Pilia, M.; Sobey, C.; Weltevrede, P.; Zagkouris, K.; Asgekar, A.; Avruch, I.; Batejat, F.; Bell, M.; Bell, M.; Bentum, M.; BERNARDI, G.; Best, P.; Birzan, L.; Bonafede, A.; Breitling, F.; Broderick, J.; Brueggen, M.; Butcher, H.; Ciardi, B.; Duscha, S.; Eisloeffel, J.; Falcke, H.; Fender, R.; Ferrari, C.; Frieswijk, W.; Garrett, M.; de Gasperin, F.; de Geus, E.; Gunst, A.; Heald, G.; Hoeft, M.; Horneffer, A.; Iacobelli, M.; Kuper, G.; Maat, P.; Macario, G.; Markoff, S.; McKean, J.; Mevius, M.; Miller-Jones, James; Morganti, R.; Munk, H.; Orru, E.; Paas, H.; Pandey-Pommier, M.; Pandey, V.; Pizzo, R.; Polatidis, A.; Rawlings, S.; Reich, W.; Rottgering, H.; Scaife, A.; Schoenmakers, A.; Shulevski, A.; Sluman, J.; Steinmetz, M.; Tagger, M.; Tang, Y.; Tasse, C.; ter Veen, S.; Vermeulen, R.; van de Brink, R.; van Weeren, R.; Wijers, R.; Wise, M.; Wucknitz, O.; Yatawatta, S.; Zarka, P.

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Authors

Hermsen, W.

Hessels, J.

Kuiper, L.

van Leeuwen, J.

Mitra, D.

de Plaa, J.

Rankin, J.

Stappers, B.

Wright, G.

Basu, R.

Alexov, A.

Coenen, T.

Griessmeier, J.

Hassall, T.

Karastergiou, A.

Keane, E.

Kondratiev, V.

Kramer, M.

Kuniyoshi, M.

Noutsos, A.

Serylak, M.

Pilia, M.

Sobey, C.

Weltevrede, P.

Zagkouris, K.

Asgekar, A.

Avruch, I.

Batejat, F.

Bell, M.

Bentum, M.

BERNARDI, G.

Best, P.

Birzan, L.

Bonafede, A.

Breitling, F.

Broderick, J.

Brueggen, M.

Butcher, H.

Ciardi, B.

Duscha, S.

Eisloeffel, J.

Falcke, H.

Fender, R.

Ferrari, C.

Frieswijk, W.

Garrett, M.

de Gasperin, F.

de Geus, E.

Gunst, A.

Heald, G.

Hoeft, M.

Horneffer, A.

Iacobelli, M.

Kuper, G.

Maat, P.

Macario, G.

Markoff, S.

McKean, J.

Mevius, M.

Miller-Jones, James

Morganti, R.

Munk, H.

Orru, E.

Paas, H.

Pandey-Pommier, M.

Pandey, V.

Pizzo, R.

Polatidis, A.

Rawlings, S.

Reich, W.

Rottgering, H.

Scaife, A.

Schoenmakers, A.

Shulevski, A.

Sluman, J.

Steinmetz, M.

Tagger, M.

Tang, Y.

Tasse, C.

ter Veen, S.

Vermeulen, R.

van de Brink, R.

van Weeren, R.

Wijers, R.

Wise, M.

Wucknitz, O.

Yatawatta, S.

Zarka, P.

Date

2013

Type

Journal Article

Metadata

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Citation

Hermsen, W. and Hessels, J. and Kuiper, L. and van Leeuwen, J. and Mitra, D. and de Plaa, J. and Rankin, J. et al. 2013. Synchronous X-ray and radio mode switches: A rapid global transformation of the pulsar magnetosphere. Science. 339: pp. 436-439.

Source Title

Science

Additional URLs

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/339/6118/436.full

ISSN

0036-8075

School

Curtin Institute of Radio Astronomy

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/33117

Collection

Curtin Research Publications

Abstract

Pulsars emit from low-frequency radio waves up to high-energy gamma-rays, generated anywhere from the stellar surface out to the edge of the magnetosphere. Detecting correlated mode changes across the electromagnetic spectrum is therefore key to understanding the physical relationship among the emission sites. Through simultaneous observations, we detected synchronous switching in the radio and x-ray emission properties of PSR B0943+10. When the pulsar is in a sustained radio-"bright" mode, the x-rays show only an unpulsed, nonthermal component. Conversely, when the pulsar is in a radio-"quiet" mode, the x-ray luminosity more than doubles and a 100% pulsed thermal component is observed along with the nonthermal component. This indicates rapid, global changes to the conditions in the magnetosphere, which challenge all proposed pulsar emission theories.