Abstract
THE angle between the magnetic dipole moment and the spin of a pulsar is an important parameter in studies of the pulse emission. In this letter, arguments based on the properties of the weak interaction between elementary particles and on the superfluidity of the core show that the torque associated with the rotating dipole moment is free to cause alignment with the spin only in pulsars older than the Crab, and possibly the Vela pulsar. On the basis that the sine of the angle follows an exponential law with a time constant of ∼ 106 yr, the observed distribution of radio pulse widths can be explained by the group of models in which emission occurs from regions near the polar caps rather than the light cylinder.
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JONES, P. Orientation of pulsar magnetic dipole moments. Nature 262, 120–121 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/262120a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/262120a0
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