High Energy Pulsars: Pulses and Populations

Abstract

AbstractRecent X-ray and γ-ray observations have detected a number of isolated spin-powered pulsars. Studies of the pulse profiles of these objects are providing a useful guide to the site of the high energy emission. The γ-ray pulses, which are closely tied to the primary population of radiating particles, seem to be an especially useful discriminant between pulsar models. With an understanding of how the pulsar luminosity and beaming factors evolve with spin parameters, pulsar population syntheses can also be used to check the predictions of high energy emission models. In turn, comparison with γ-ray sky surveys constrains the properties of the young pulsar population.