Toward an empirical theory of pulsar emission. VI - The geometry of the conal emission region

Abstract

An empirical analysis of the geometry of the conal emission region for a total population of some 150 pulsars for which an adequate body of observations now exists is presented. Special attention is given to the five-component (M) class and to those other, entirely conal species which are closely related to it: the conal triple and the conal quadruple. The conal emission geometry of this group of five-component (M) stars is considered. Their two pairs of conal components suggest that both an 'inner' and 'outer' hollow conal beam is emitted. The conal emission radii of the five-component M pulsars exhibit a strikingly orderly behavior. The 'inner' and 'outer' radii have the following dependences at 1 GHz: 4.3 deg P exp -1/2 and 5.8 deg P exp -1/2, respectively, where P is the pulsar period. The other species also exhibit great regularity in their conal emission geometry.