# Investigation of the Mode-Switching Phenomenon in Pulsar B0329+54 Through Polarimetric Analysis

## TL;DR

This study investigates the profile mode switching in pulsar B0329+54 by analyzing polarization and geometry, finding that polarization behavior and emission height remain constant across modes, supporting a pair production change model.

## Contribution

It provides the first detailed polarimetric comparison of the two profile modes of PSR B0329+54, revealing constant polarization and emission height, and supports a pair production change hypothesis.

## Key findings

- Polarization behavior remains constant between modes.
- Emission height remains unchanged across modes.
- Supports a pair production change model for mode switching.

## Abstract

The phenomenon of profile mode switching in pulsars, where the stable average pulse profile changes to another stable state on the timescale of a pulsar's period, remains poorly understood. We sought to understand how pulsars undergo profile mode switching through a comparative analysis of the polarization and geometry of the two different profile modes of PSR B0329+54. The polarization behavior and fitted parameters of the rotation-vector model remain constant between modes, and the emission height remains constant as well. These similarities lend support to a model of pair production in the surface plasma that would cause a change in the available electrons and therefore the differential emission intensity.