What is causing the eclipse in the millisecond binary pulsar?

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy

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Eclipsing Binary Stars, Pulsars, Radio Sources (Astronomy), Stellar Winds, Optical Thickness, Stellar Models, Stellar Orbits

Scientific paper

Possible physical mechanisms for explaining the radio eclipses in the millisecond binary pulsar PSR 1957 + 20 are discussed. If, as recent observations suggest, the duration of the eclipses depends on the observing frequency, a plausible mechanism is free-free absorption of the radio pulses by a low-density ionized wind surrounding the companion. Detailed numerical calculations are performed for this case, and it is found that all of the observations made at 430 MHz can be reliably reproduced, including the asymmetry in the excess time delay of the pulses. The model leads to definite predictions for the duration of the eclipse at other observing frequencies, as well as the radio intensity and excess time delay of the pulses as a function of orbital phase. If the duration of the eclipses were found to be independent of frequency, then the likely mechanism would be reflection of the radio signal at a contact discontinuity between a high-density wind and the pulsar radiation. In this case, however, it is difficult to explain the observed symmetry of the eclipse.

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