Issue A&A Volume 379, Number 2, November IV 2001 Page(s) 551 - 556 Section Formation, structure and evolution of stars DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20011321

A&A 379, 551-556 (2001)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20011321

Vela, its X-ray nebula, and the polarization of pulsar radiation

V. Radhakrishnan and A. A. Deshpande

Raman Research Institute, C. V. Raman Avenue, Bangalore -560 080, India
    e-mail: rad@rri.res.in, desh@rri.res.in

(Received 31 July 2001 / Accepted 17 September 2001 )

Abstract
The recent identification of the perpendicular mode of radio polarization as the primary one in the Vela pulsar by Lai et al. (2001) is interpreted in terms of the maser mechanism proposed by Luo & Melrose (1995). We suggest that such a mechanism may also be operative for the parallel mode which opens up the possibility of accounting for all types of polarization observed in pulsars. We propose an alternative interpretation of the arcs in the nebular X-radiation observed by Pavlov et al. (2000) and Helfand et al. (2001) with the Chandra Observatory, and interpreted by the latter as an equatorial wind. We interpret the arcs as traces of the particle beams from the two magnetic poles at the shock front. We also propose that the alignment with the rotation axis of the jet-like feature bisecting the arcs is an effect of projection on the sky plane and that there is no physical jet along the axis of rotation.

Key words: X-ray: stars -- stars: neutron, winds, outflows -- pulsars: general -- individual: Vela -- supernovae: general -- polarization -- radiation mechanisms: non-thermal

Offprint request: V. Radhakrishnan, rad@rri.res.in

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