| _version_ | 1866902332775596032 |
|---|---|
| author | Doumbouya, Lisa Michelle |
| author_facet | Doumbouya, Lisa Michelle |
| contents | <p>Electron–positron pair cascades in pulsar magnetospheres are commonly interpreted as magnetic pair production triggered by high-energy photons in ultra-strong magnetic fields. Observations and numerical simulations consistently show that these cascades occur only within specific magnetospheric regions, particularly near the polar caps and along open magnetic field lines. This paper examines the phenomenon from a structural perspective. Pulsar magnetospheres form highly organized electromagnetic environments characterized by strong magnetic field geometry, localized particle acceleration, and confined regions of energy injection. Within these environments, gamma-ray emission triggers cascades of correlated electron–positron pairs that propagate along magnetospheric field lines and generate the relativistic plasma responsible for pulsar emission and winds. Rather than focusing on interpretations of vacuum pair creation, this work emphasizes the observed structural ordering of the system: a constrained electromagnetic environment, energy excitation, and correlated pair production. Pulsar pair cascades are therefore interpreted as an instance of structured field excitation, consistent with a broader class of physical systems in which energy injection within organized fields produces correlated particle pairs and cascade amplification.</p> |
| format | Recurso digital |
| id | zenodo_https___doi_org_10_5281_zenodo_18937951 |
| institution | Zenodo |
| language | |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publisher | Zenodo |
| record_format | zenodo |
| spellingShingle | Structured Field Excitation and Electron–Positron Pair Cascades in Pulsar Magnetospheres Doumbouya, Lisa Michelle pulsars pulsar magnetospheres electron-positron pair cascades magnetic pair production neutron stars polar cap acceleration curvature radiation structured electromagnetic fields pair plasma high-energy astrophysics relativistic plasma theoretical physics harmonic physics <p>Electron–positron pair cascades in pulsar magnetospheres are commonly interpreted as magnetic pair production triggered by high-energy photons in ultra-strong magnetic fields. Observations and numerical simulations consistently show that these cascades occur only within specific magnetospheric regions, particularly near the polar caps and along open magnetic field lines. This paper examines the phenomenon from a structural perspective. Pulsar magnetospheres form highly organized electromagnetic environments characterized by strong magnetic field geometry, localized particle acceleration, and confined regions of energy injection. Within these environments, gamma-ray emission triggers cascades of correlated electron–positron pairs that propagate along magnetospheric field lines and generate the relativistic plasma responsible for pulsar emission and winds. Rather than focusing on interpretations of vacuum pair creation, this work emphasizes the observed structural ordering of the system: a constrained electromagnetic environment, energy excitation, and correlated pair production. Pulsar pair cascades are therefore interpreted as an instance of structured field excitation, consistent with a broader class of physical systems in which energy injection within organized fields produces correlated particle pairs and cascade amplification.</p> |
| title | Structured Field Excitation and Electron–Positron Pair Cascades in Pulsar Magnetospheres |
| topic | pulsars pulsar magnetospheres electron-positron pair cascades magnetic pair production neutron stars polar cap acceleration curvature radiation structured electromagnetic fields pair plasma high-energy astrophysics relativistic plasma theoretical physics harmonic physics |
| url | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18937951 |