Published in:

Astrophysical Journal 728,2 (2011)

Abstract

To constrain the giant pulse (GP) emission mechanism and test the model of Lyutikov for GP emission, we have carried out a campaign of simultaneous observations of the Crab pulsar at gamma-ray (Fermi) and radio (Green Bank Telescope) wavelengths. Over 10 hr of simultaneous observations we obtained a sample of 2.1x10(4) GPs, observed at a radio frequency of 9 GHz, and 77 Fermi photons, with energies between 100 MeV and 5 GeV. The majority of GPs came from the interpulse (IP) phase window. We found no change in the GP generation rate within 10-120 s windows at lags of up to +/- 40 minutes of observed gamma-ray photons. The 95% upper limit for a gamma-ray flux enhancement in pulsed emission phase window around all GPs is four times the average pulsed gamma-ray flux from the Crab. For the subset of IP GPs, the enhancement upper limit, within the IP emission window, is 12 times the average pulsed gamma-ray flux. These results suggest that GPs, at least high-frequency IP GPs, are due to changes in coherence of radio emission rather than an overall increase in the magnetospheric particle density.

Date of this Version

2-1-2011

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