Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

The Vela glitch of Christmas 1988

Abstract

IN the past ten years, the Vela pulsar PSR 0833–45 has undergone several large, discontinuous changes—glitches—in its pulsation period. On 24 December 1988, we were making continuous radio measurements of the Vela pulsar with a 2-min time resolution when a glitch occurred. Here we report our observations, which on the day of the glitch extend from 12 h before the event to 6 h after and represent the first time a glitch has been caught as it happened. The period decrease occurred without warning and in less than 2 min; an exponential recovery similar to previously observed post-glitch behaviour began immediately. Observations were made at 635 MHz and 950 MHz, and the lower frequency signal showed an additional delay starting at the time of the glitch and continuing for about 35 days. This behaviour is consistent with a small increase in dispersion measure or a change in the pulsar's magnetic field configuration. After the glitch, the arrival times of pulses at both frequencies differed from the smoothly predicted times according to a damped sinusoidal oscillation with a period of about 25 days.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. McCulloch, P. M., Hamilton, P. A., Royle, G. W. R. & Manchester, R. N. Nature 302, 319–321 (1983).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. McCulloch, P. M., Klekociuk, A. R., Hamilton, P. A. & Royle, G. W. R. Aust. J. Phys. 40, 725–730 (1987).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Flanagan, C. IAU Circ. 4695 (1989).

  4. Hamilton, P. A., King, E. A., McConnell, D. McCulloch, P. M. IAU Circ. 4708 (1989).

  5. Manchester, R. N. et al. Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc. 184, 159–170 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Hamilton, P. A., Hall, P. J. & Costa, M. E. Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc. 214, 5P–7P (1985).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Baym, G., Pethick, C., Pines, D. & Ruderman, M. Nature 224, 872–874 (1969).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Alpar, M. A., Anderson, P. W., Pines, D. & Shaham, J. Astrophys. J. 278, 791–805 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Harwit, M. & Salpeter, E. E. Astrophys. J. 186, L37–L39 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Kuzmin, A. D., Malofeev, V. M., Izvekova, V. A., Sieber, W. & Wielebinski, R. Astr. Astrophys. 161, 183–194 (1986).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Ruderman, M. Nature 225, 619–620 (1970).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Sonin, E. B. Rev. mod Phys. 59, 87–155 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

McCulloch, P., Hamilton, P., McConnell, D. et al. The Vela glitch of Christmas 1988. Nature 346, 822–824 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/346822a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/346822a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing