Relativistic Rotating Vector Model

TL;DR

This paper introduces a relativistic extension of the rotating vector model for pulsar polarization, accounting for finite emission heights and relativistic effects, enabling better inference of pulsar emission geometry from polarization data.

Contribution

It develops a relativistic RVM that includes aberration, time-of-travel, and polarization rotation effects, which were neglected in previous models.

Findings

Relativistic effects significantly alter polarization swings.

Polarization data at different frequencies can infer emission radii.

The model improves understanding of pulsar emission geometry.

Abstract

The direction of polarization produced by a moving source rotates with the respect to the rest frame. We show that this effect, induced by pulsar rotation, leads to an important correction to polarization swings within the framework of rotating vector model (RVM); this effect has been missed by previous works. We construct relativistic RVM taking into account finite heights of the emission region that lead to aberration, time-of-travel effects and relativistic rotation of polarization. Polarizations swings at different frequencies can be used, within the assumption of the radius-to-frequency mapping, to infer emission radii and geometry of pulsars.