A model for the orbital modulation of PSR J0737-3039B

TL;DR

This paper presents a model explaining the orbital modulation of PSR J0737-3039B, attributing bright phases to interactions with a particle cloud generated by PSR J0737-3039A, and predicts observable behaviors for future testing.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel model linking B's bright phases to its passage through a particle cloud created by A, explaining the drifting bright phases and offering testable predictions.

Findings

B passes through the cloud twice per orbit, causing two bright phases.

The distribution of cloud particles and B's emission region causes phase drifting.

Predictions for future observational tests of the model.

Abstract

A model was constructed to explain the orbit modulation of PSR J0737-3039B (referred to as B), which included the following suppositions: (1) B has arrived at the aged period and generally cannot emit observable light; (2) The PSR J0737-3039A (referred to as A) is dynamic and is encircled by dense charged particles. When A revolves along its orbit, some of the particles are scattered and form a particle cloud band along its orbit; (3) When passing the two intersection points of the orbits, B goes through the cloud band and drives the cloud particles to emit light; (4) Generally, B passes twice through the cloud band every orbit cycle; hence, there are two bright phases along the orbit. (5) It is the complexities of the distribution of the cloud particles and B's emission region that cause the bright phases to drift away from the orbit intersections. We also provide two predictions for the coming performance of B to test our model.