The pulsar magnetic window

Abstract

Triggering of the spark discharges in the Ruderman and Sutherland (1975) model by background gamma rays is shown to be effective only within a narrow range of neutron star magnetic fields centered on 2.5 x 10 to the 12th gauss. This calculated range of field strengths is in good agreement with 'observed' values, suggesting that (1) such triggering is operative, and (2) that neutron stars with much stronger fields do not function as pulsars.