PSR J0737-3039B: A probe of radio pulsar emission heights

TL;DR

This paper investigates the emission heights of pulsar B in the PSR J0737-3039 system by modeling wind-induced magnetospheric distortions, providing estimates consistent with those of isolated pulsars.

Contribution

It introduces a model of wind-distorted magnetosphere to determine emission heights, combining analytical and semi-empirical models for the first time in this context.

Findings

Minimum emission height ~20 neutron star radii

Maximum emission height ~2500 neutron star radii

Results align with estimates for isolated pulsars

Abstract

In the double pulsar system PSR J0737-3039A/B the strong wind produced by pulsar A distorts the magnetosphere of pulsar B. The influence of these distortions on the orbital-dependent emission properties of pulsar B can be used to determine the location of the coherent radio emission generation region in the pulsar magnetosphere. Using a model of the wind-distorted magnetosphere of pulsar B and the well defined geometrical parameters of the system, we determine the minimum emission height to be ~ 20 neutron star radii in the two bright orbital longitude regions. We can determine the maximum emission height by accounting for the amount of deflection of the polar field line with respect to the magnetic axis using the analytical magnetic reconnection model of Dungey and the semi-empirical numerical model of Tsyganenko. Both of these models estimate the maximum emission height to be ~ 2500 neutron star radii. The minimum and maximum emission heights we calculate are consistent with those estimated for normal isolated pulsars.