Electrodynamics of pulsar magnetospheres

TL;DR

This paper reviews the evolution of understanding pulsar magnetospheres, highlighting recent advances in numerical simulations that elucidate particle acceleration, emission processes, and gap formation in neutron star environments.

Contribution

It introduces state-of-the-art particle-in-cell simulations to model plasma-filled magnetospheres, advancing the understanding of pulsar electrodynamics from first principles.

Findings

Identification of gap formation regions

Simulation of high-energy photon emission

Explanation of pulsar activity across the electromagnetic spectrum

Abstract

We review electrodynamics of rotating magnetized neutron stars, from the early vacuum model to recent numerical experiments with plasma-filled magnetospheres. Significant progress became possible due to the development of global particle-in-cell simulations which capture particle acceleration, emission of high-energy photons, and electron-positron pair creation. The numerical experiments show from first principles how and where electric gaps form, and promise to explain the observed pulsar activity from radio waves to gamma-rays.