Aberration/Retardation Analysis of PSR B1451-68’s Profiles from Decimeter to Meter Wavelengths: Emission Heights and Implications for ‘Radius-to-Frequency Mapping’
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Measurements of pulse profiles over a large frequency range can be used to investigate the frequency dependence of emission heights using aberration/retardation (A/R) analysis. A recent analysis using PSR B1237+25, a pulsar with a core/double-cone profile, shows no evidence for an increase in emission height with wavelength in observations made across a large range in frequencies from 5 GHz–30 MHz. Motivated by this intriguing result, we undertook a similar analysis of PSR B1451−68, a bright southern-sky pulsar with a somewhat different core/double-cone profile. We used eight profiles at six different frequencies—four from the Parkes/Murriyang telescope and four from the Murchison Widefield Array—spanning 8 GHz–80 MHz. Each profile was modeled with five Gaussian components, and these were used to measure the profile asymmetries attributable to A/R, and hence to estimate the emission heights. Our results show a dramatic increase in the outer conal width and height as predicted by “radius-to-frequency mapping” (RFM). However, the A/R emission heights decrease significantly at frequencies below 1 GHz, which is inconsistent with the RFM behavior. The fact that the outer conal emission heights apparently decrease at lower frequencies remains a mystery to be further investigated.
Source: The Astrophysical Journal
Institutions: Curtin University, University of Vermont
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $4,499
OpenAlex ID: W7215077298