Schematic visual representation of the evolution of the inner flow into an outflow at the switch from the high to the low X-ray emission mode. When the system is in the high mode (top panel), a small-size inner flow is present, together with a faint steady jet that is launched along the pulsar rotational axis and gives rise to the observed low-level radio and millimetre emission. As the pulsar rotates, the pulsar wind (marked with solid green lines) wobbles around the equatorial plane (see e.g. Bogovalov 1999) and shocks off the electrons in the inner flow at two opposite sides (red spots) at a distance that is slightly larger than the light cylinder radius (≃80 km). At each pulsar rotation, synchrotron emission at the shock at X-ray, UV, and optical frequencies is modulated at the spin period at one side (bright red spot), while it is absorbed by material in the inner flow at the other side (light red spot; Papitto et al. 2019). When the system makes a switch to the low mode (bottom panel), a bright discrete ejection is launched along the pulsar rotational axis on top of the compact jet, the inner flow disappears, and the shock emission is quenched. For displaying purposes, only the inner regions of the compact jet are represented in both panels.