On the approach to stability of pulsar average profiles

Abstract

We have studied the rate of stabilization to a global average profile for over two dozen radio pulsars. To investigate the physical processes governing the approach to a stable profile, the pulse-to-pulse profile variations have been separated into three components: variations arising from the changes in the intensity, phase, and width of the pulse maximum. The rate of stabilization is seen to vary from pulsar to pulsar, and a correlation analysis of this rate with other pulsar properties gives some insight into the processes governing irregular variations from pulse to pulse. The stabilization rate for the polarized emission has also been studied, and it is seen that this rate generally is slower than the stabilization rate for the total intensity. In many cases there is a sharp change in the stabilization rate after approximately 4-100 pulses are averaged.